The Chess Match
by anja-chan
Summary: After the Britannian Empire invades Japan in search of Kira, Light finds himself in the perfect position to find the true names of the Nobility: Ashford Academy. Enter Lelouch, a chessboard, and a clash of philosophy.
1. Chapter 1

_So, please enjoy this although I believe it falls into my crack genre... considering I really didn't plan it out TOO much, but then discovered that I had to do some thinking... so, I suppose it's what I'm calling "intelligent crack." Please enjoy and why don't you leave a review if you want another chapter? Perhaps let me know if you would want in the next chapter? This story can really go in several directions..._

**--L--**

**The Chess Match**

**1**

**--L--**

Light slid the mask of minor interest over his face, hiding his bored expression from the professor. His first day at the Britannian private school Ashford Academy, and it was hardly more interesting than school had been when he was Japanese.

The only aspect that made the academy more appealing than his previous schooling experiences was the other students. They were so naïve, and because of that, easy to manipulate… as Light expected to be doing. He glanced around the room, checking the clock as an excuse to check Ryuk's position. The hulking death god was still present at the back of the classroom, and he gave a little wave to Light, snickering, although Light was forced to admit that he sounded more like he was choking. He sighed, turning to face the teacher again, who was mumbling something about mathematics and etching pictographs onto the whiteboard.

Pretending he was still listening, Light's eyes slid over the other students, their bright hair colors of varying lengths catching his attention. He supposed that Ashford Academy was certainly diverse, if only because the majority of students were European and he was regularly accustomed to Japanese people. He caught himself then and supposed he should get used to calling them Elevens. Inwardly, Light gritted his teeth.

After all, he may be Kira, a name often found to be synonymous with Justice, but the Royal Britannian Family used false names. Of course, Kira had gotten to a few of the careless Nobles, but he also knew that a great many of them were simply European families who did not necessarily support the Empire out of their own free will, but were coerced. He couldn't be hypocritical; Light himself had been forced to become an Honorable Britannian to be sure of his own survival. He shuddered for a moment realizing that his fate could have been far different had he been forced to live in the Shinjuku Ghetto. Luckily his father had supported Britannia when it had still been the faction of European territories intent on stopping Kira as one of their primary policies. It wasn't until after the Japanese had allowed the Britannians into the country that they realized it was a full assault on Japan and not simply the promised help to stamp out Kira. But by the time the government realized what was happening, it was too late. The Prime Minister had been killed, and the Britannian Army was securely ensconced in Tokyo and Osaka. Of course, few of the now-Elevens supported Britannia's hostile takeover, but Souichiro Yagami had played on the longstanding common goal of catching Kira to save his family, allowing them to become registered as Britannians instead of Elevens. An unspoken rule it may be in the Yagami household, everyone in the family was aware of how ultimately the trust in Britannia had been betrayed.

Light released a calming breath, unnoticeable by his classmates. Forcing his body to relax again, Light felt better knowing that here he would be able to bring about his perfect world. One that did not include the Britannian Empire. Light looked back to the teacher, his eyes drifting over the board and then back around to the rest of the class.

Fluid purple eyes looked up from class notes, glancing in his direction. Light didn't look away at once, instead meeting the other boy's stare directly. Light offered a slight smile so it didn't seem quite like a confrontation—it was important to at least _seem_ friendly to the Britannians—but his classmate just blinked, long lashes raising again to reveal that his attention was now focused elsewhere. He hadn't even acknowledged Light's presence.

Light pretended not to notice, but he suddenly felt his blood running hotly through his veins. Of course, the _real_ Britannians would continue to view Light as an Eleven, even though his family had always publicly supported the Emperor. It was as obvious as the darker color of his skin and slanted eyes. He should have known better; he was an outsider….

But then again, on a closer inspection, didn't that disinterested boy seem Asian as well? His hair was darker than Light's own, his eyes as well if one could compare purple with brown. Half perhaps? Light guessed, watching from the corner of his eye as the boy brushed a stray strand of hair from his eyes, leaving his hand on his forehead to prop himself up. Yes, there could be no mistake that he was Asian at least partially and Light would make an educated guess that he had been half Japanese. It irritated Light that this boy looked down on him.

He supposed it was still the first day of school. His fellow students had no idea that Light Yagami, a former Eleven who was actually Kira, planned to be first in the class, proving ultimately that Japanese people were not inferior.

**--L--**

"Lulu! You can't be skipping again!" Shirley called, as Lelouch and Rivalz walked down the corridor past her. He sent her a nonchalant smile to which she frowned. "At least don't take Rivalz with you…" the girl pouted, her brows furrowed.

"But Rivalz offered to take me to the game," he replied, still smiling and without breaking stride. He looked ahead to the doors, letting his voice drift past his shoulder. "If he doesn't take me, then he won't get any money when I win."

Lelouch didn't bother turning to look back at Shirley's expression. Of course she would be upset, but he had never let her stop him. Besides, even if he didn't continue to keep his daily patterns the same as before he had become Zero to chase away suspicion, Lelouch found the games relieved his unconditional boredom. His affable expression changed however, as he noticed Suzaku standing with his arms crossed by the door. The sunny light outside beckoned for students to leave their studies, but the shadow cast by the Lancelot pilot blotted out that particular daydream. Lelouch forced the grimace off his face, noticing that for once, Suzaku wasn't alone; Light was looking out the window, distracted, as if he couldn't care less about what anyone else did. Although Lelouch had the distinct feeling that Light was specifically ignoring _him_, he didn't let it bother him, instead reflecting on why the two would be found in such close proximity. The answer was simple.

Naturally, the two Japanese-turned-Elevens-turned-Britannians would become friends because of their shared heritage. Not that Suzaku was really capable of not trying to make _everyone_ his friend, but he supposed those two had more in common than the rest of the school. And because of that, Lelouch found he pitied Light… he knew Suzaku was nice, but if both of them became close friends, the rest of the school would certainly avoid them. They simply stood out more together, as if they were some kind of posse of Elevens. And Light… there was a sudden sharp distaste in Lelouch's mouth as he remembered that Light was now the number one in their class, stealing away Lelouch's coveted position of genius. The small feeling of pity left Lelouch abruptly and his eyes found the door.

"Lelouch," Suzaku began, his eyes narrowing slightly in an attempt at being commanding as Lelouch and Rivalz drew nearer.

"Not now, Suzaku," Lelouch cut him off, and keeping his momentum to the door and using Rivalz as a shield between him and the green-eyed rain on his parade. He pushed open the door, the windows embedded in it sparkling as the sunlight struck their surfaces.

"Lelouch!" Suzaku shouted, trailing after him, "Gambling like that is _illegal_. You could get in lots of trouble for that! Aren't you listening?"

"Just pretend you don't know what I'm doing, Suzaku, then you won't be in trouble," came Lelouch's cool reply.

"But—"

Lelouch turned, wondering why Suzaku's tirade had suddenly ended. Light was standing to the pilot's left, holding his elbow. Lelouch turned back and headed towards the exit with Rivalz, but he could still hear Light's smooth voice echoing across the lawn.

"Let him go… if he wants to waste his life gambling, let him. I know I have better things to do."

_Better things to do?_ Lelouch thought to himself, scoffing inwardly. For a moment, he allowed himself to imagine Light sitting in the library, studying to keep his grades up as if his very life depended on it. Perhaps Light actually believed that? A smile graced Lelouch's sculptured face… oh, how little that particular student knew about the important things.

**--L--**

"He plays chess, doesn't he? Against Nobles?" Light asked Suzaku after Lelouch and Rivalz had exited the school grounds. The noise from the motorbike was fading into the distance.

"Yes," Suzaku sighed. He looked up at Light, his green eyes—odd for a Japanese boy—meeting Light's chocolate ones in a look that was almost pleading. "It's not the specific game though. I mean, there's nothing wrong with chess; it's that he gambles on it, and skips classes."

Light looked thoughtful for a moment, staring out across the manicured lawns of Ashford Academy. He recalled Lelouch's face to the forefront of his mind, the half-Britannian's expression in its familiar 'I-can't-decide-if-this-tastes-bad-or-if-I'm-utterly-bored' look. As much as he didn't really care for Lelouch, Light found himself sympathetic to his cause. "You have to admit that he hardly needs to attend classes at all…."

Suzaku looked at him sharply. "That's no excuse."

"Of course," Light replied smoothly before turning back to the other Honorable Britannian. Suzaku Kururugi had been the only student eager to make his acquaintance when he had first arrived a week ago, which Light had initially been grateful for, but he was now beginning to see that Suzaku took a hard line to following rules and was quite the pet of the Britannian Empire. Neither of these attributes really fit well with Light's personality, unfortunately, and Light was also beginning to notice looks of disgust from the other students whenever they were together. And if they weren't full blown looks of disgust, there certainly was the all too common 'bad-taste-in-mouth' sideways glance. To Light, the ability to give this look on whim seemed to be the only thing that really separated the Nobles from the working class. Naturally, he had already mastered it. However, Light perceived Suzaku would never reach the point of picking up on the slight social cues. The two of them together would only look like they both still clung to their former nationality, and if Light wanted to be able to use the students here to decipher the true names of the Nobility, he couldn't afford to look like he missed being Japanese. He would have to avoid Suzaku for a while… not because he necessarily disliked him or thought he was smart enough to discover that Light was Kira, but because Light could not depend on Suzaku alone for information.

Besides, it seemed as if _Lelouch_ was quite popular… and if Light wanted to have the student body in the palm of his hand, he needed to be as well-liked as Lelouch. And if skipping class and retaining high marks didn't say for itself that the boy found school boring and unnecessary, it was the rumors of his illegal chess matches that piqued the interest of the entire student body. Perhaps if Light could show him up in some way? Girls, once attracted to him, were certainly the easiest kinds of people to manipulate, and as much as he had never needed or wanted to participate in popularity contests before, now it would be necessary to achieve Kira's goals.

"If you're so worried about Lelouch, Suzaku," Light said, returning to the task at hand and beginning to formulate his plan, "Then something here at the school needs to be more interesting than his chess matches. He won't listen to you patronizing him; he has to want to be here.

"And frankly, I don't blame him. This school _is_ boring…" Light trailed off, sounding wistful. Suzaku looked surprised, but then hid it with a self-conscious smile.

"Well, maybe it is for you, Light," Suzaku said, looking at the ground. He started to walk back towards the school, scuffing his shoes. "But not everyone is as smart as you and Lelouch. Some people even find Ashford challenging, you know."

"I know." Light tried to act like he was a little ashamed. He had to be careful here, and not seem to be actually driving Suzaku away, but just enough…. "I didn't mean it as an insult to other students, just that everyone, no matter their abilities should have a reason to be here."

Suzaku reached the door, turning around before he opened it. "Maybe you should ask the Student Council President about it? Milly's really nice and she'd listen to you."

"Suzaku, aren't _you_ on the Student Council?" Light asked dryly. Honestly, Light's new plan revolved around being daring and taking the initiative, not taking the safe route and asking the Student Council to make his schoolwork challenging. That would only make him seem more like a suck-up and less like someone worth knowing. Obviously, simply being smart wasn't good enough. He needed to look like he was smart without trying—which he was—so much that he could skip classes for leisure activities. Popularity at Ashford Academy firstly depended on being a Noble, but since Light could never achieve that, he had to settle for being intelligent, charming, and unbelievably interesting. He brought his attention back to the brown-haired, green-eyed boy in front of him. Suzaku looked sheepish.

"Well, I know I'm on the Student Council, but that doesn't mean that you…" he trailed off, and Light guessed Suzaku's idealistic nature was finally catching up to reality. It wouldn't fly well with the rest of the school for both of the Honorable Britannians to show up at Student Council meetings. Light sighed, realizing that Suzaku was definitely one of those people benefiting from Kira's work.

"Don't worry about it, Suzaku, I'm sure I can figure something out that can keep everyone entertained," Light said, stepping past the other boy. He flashed a smile without fully turning his head as he opened the door.

Indeed, as his plan unfolded in his mind, he saw that it might even be enough to keep _himself_ entertained… as long as Lelouch agreed.

**--L--**

"Lelouch Lamperouge?"

Lelouch looked up from his book, a slender finger holding the page. Light Yagami was standing over him, a friendly smile on his face… and yet, he looked _too_ casual, almost smug, the way he had his weight securely over his heels, leaning against the library table opposite from him. A gnawing, creeping feeling wormed its way into his stomach. He blinked it away, and looked Light directly in the eyes.

"Yes?" he drawled, careful to seem apathetic. He figured he wouldn't be very interested in whatever the teenager had to say.

"I am challenging you to a game of chess. If you refuse, you forfeit the match." Light delivered it in a voice that was nearly loud enough to echo across the library. As it was, the handful of students present all focused their attention on Lelouch, awaiting his answer.

Lelouch felt his stomach drop for a highly unpleasant moment. Challenging _him?_ Lelouch glanced around to realize how well he'd been set up… there was no way he could refuse such an open challenge in front of witnesses. It didn't matter if he knew he would win like always, and therefore it was pointless to play; Light had made the stakes clear, using Lelouch's own reputation.

But had he done it on purpose? Or was it simply coincidence that he had come upon Lelouch while he was in the library? Light was certainly smart enough to do it on purpose as far as his test scores proved, but only if he had a motive…. Lelouch shook the thoughts out of his head, coming back to the moment. He had only one option.

"I can't see how you could possibly hope to win," Lelouch said, condescension dripping from his rich voice. He hoped Light would back down now, but the brunette only smiled again.

"Then you have nothing to lose by playing against me," he replied.

And that was when Lelouch realized he had everything to lose. Everyone expected Lelouch to win, so if Light lost, no one's opinion would change. But if _Light_ won, Lelouch would no longer have the support of the student body. If the Ashford populace believed he was losing his matches, most likely they wouldn't help him escape the teachers and the school grounds. But it was too late to wonder about that now; he suppressed the urge to curl his lip, instead twisting his mouth into a smile that he hoped was convincing.

"If you insist, Yagami." He tried not to bit the words off too viciously. While he didn't like the idea of a match-up against an opponent not of his choosing, Lelouch would not offend another student. "When are you available for this match?"

"It seems to me that you aren't very busy now, am I correct?" Light asked and Lelouch wanted to curse him. He couldn't very well say he was busy… he was currently skipping English. Did Light Yagami know this as well?

Lelouch looked back down to his book, but obviously the answer wasn't written in the slim novel's pages. He sighed, closing it. "You would like to have the match now?"

"Yes. I think it could occupy the time for both of us much better, don't you?" Light's delivery was perfect. No one would think there was anything more than Light wondering whether Lelouch would play a game of chess against him. And even Lelouch himself couldn't detect anything strange, other than the very fact that Light had issued the challenge.

"You could be right, Yagami," Lelouch responded, feeling a wave of loathing pass over him. Had he been manipulated? Or was it all in his head? He could use the Geass to force Light to change his mind—no. Lelouch quashed the thought immediately. Using the Geass to opt out of a game of chess? It was ridiculous… and yet, was he really afraid of losing to Light?

Lelouch stood, setting the book firmly down on the table. This was a direct challenge, and he would defeat Light decisively. There could be no other outcome; Lelouch was a master at chess. Even if Light had managed to coerce him into the match, there was no guarantee that Light could win on the chessboard, the plane on which Lelouch thrived.

The exact same that Zero lived off of as well.

His confidence regained, Lelouch gestured to his left, offering Light a seat. Light sat as Lelouch walked to the other side of the table. Students hushed and gathered closer as Lelouch pulled a briefcase from the feet of his chair. He placed it squarely on the surface in front of him, releasing the catch so that it gently clicked open. The library was perfectly silent as the amethyst-eyed boy lifted the briefcase open to reveal the gleaming chess pieces cushioned in black fur next to a crimson and black chessboard. Lelouch took out each piece reverently, setting them up in among the hushed whispers.

"Then I am the white side, and you are the black?" Light asked the moment everything was in place. The ivory pieces were spread out in front of Light facing off against the ebony ones Lelouch always used.

"Ah, that's correct, Yagami," Lelouch replied. He was in his element, calm and cool, his chess pieces arranged before him like the Order of the Black Knights before Zero. Light Yagami would regret the challenge he had issued.

"Your move first," Lelouch told him, looking across the chessboard. Light nodded, and moved a pawn two spaces forward. The atmosphere crackled with enough force to bring a Knightmare to a halt. Lelouch smiled, presiding over his chessboard like a king, and brought out a black knight without breaking his line of pawns.

The game was on, and Lelouch found it more strenuous than his usual chess matches, Light matching him wit for wit, move for move, and piece for piece. The minutes ticked by slowly, almost unnoticeable under the force of concentration the two geniuses were exerting on the chessboard. Lelouch found his ears picking up the sounds of the crowd during Light's turn, but then his focus prevented him from noticing anything other than his next move to thwart Light. Several times it seemed as if Lelouch was finally gaining a decisive upper hand, Light would manage to discard some offending piece to the growing piles of rejected figures. Then Lelouch found himself scrambling on the defensive, throwing his entire mind into strategic plots to overthrow Light's plans. The crimson and black battlefield was slowly clearing, more opportunities for success and failure opening up as the game progressed.

He didn't know how long the game has lasted, but upon scrutinizing the board carefully, Lelouch realized it was now the beginning of the end. Light was a more than decent chess player, yet Lelouch's masterful skills lay in his ability to be unpredictable and his philosophy on the chessboard. His fingers grazed the black king, moving it to a diagonal space forward, while looking Light directly in the eyes and smiling. The game wouldn't last much longer and Lelouch could feel the tide of conceited satisfaction rising from the depths of his abdomen at the thought.

"Moving your king? That seems like such a vulnerable position… you leave me wondering at your strategy," Light said, quirking an eyebrow.

"A king must always lead his people, isn't that right?" Lelouch asked, tilting his head and displaying a disarming smile while using his king to take a white pawn. He held the pawn effortlessly between his fingers for a moment before dropping it to the side of the board where the rest of Light's captured pieces lay.

"But a king needs to be protected," Light countered, his voice persuasive and genial. A dark-skinned hand took the remaining white castle, setting it down firmly four spaces away in a direct confrontation with a black pawn. Lelouch nearly let a small chuckle escape his lips; Light had obviously learned chess the classical way, which spelled out his demise to Lelouch in gleaming white statuettes. Light continued firmly, seemingly unaware of how Lelouch's lips curved upwards ever so slightly at the corners. "You won't win the game if you send your king recklessly into battle."

"We'll see who wins the match, Yagami," Lelouch reminded him haughtily, pausing for a moment until Light looked up at him from the chessboard. "And if the king doesn't lead, who will?"

The Britannian prince looked back to the board and placed a delicate finger on the black queen, moving it diagonally until it neatly pushed a white knight out of a crimson square. The knight fell directly into the discard pile on the side of the board, clicking against the other pieces.

"God."

Lelouch instinctively found Light's eyes with his own and discovered them fiercely intense in their defense of his words. The liquid fire of his opponent's eyes blazed heated superiority and a belief in his own unrivaled power, the force of which knocked Lelouch's breath away. The word that came unbidden to Lelouch's entranced mind was _hubris_, Greek for unbridled arrogance with a dash of violence, and found only among the heroes of ancient texts….

"God?" Lelouch repeated, unblinking, unable to look away from Light's eyes. That quick and firm response had shocked Lelouch and his mind couldn't scramble fast enough for a neat response when faced with the strength of Light's vision. His question of leadership had been rhetorical, and yet Light already had an answer. Eyes were so often said to be windows to the soul….

"Yes," Light said, his eyelids lowering until he was focused solely on Lelouch. It felt as if the entire world was made only of the two of them and their ideals… everything else disappeared as the former Eleven nearly whispered, his voice velvet slinking across the table. "For who do you think directs the king?"

Lelouch couldn't answer, his breath trapped in his throat strangely dry and his eyes still captive to Light's amber ones. His mind whirled in a maelstrom of thought, his philosophy pushed too far… didn't the king direct himself? Wasn't that why he was called the king? Why he, Lelouch, was _Zero_? The pawns needed someone to lead them; God wasn't a part of the equation. Lelouch broke the eye contact, finding it much more of a struggle than he had anticipated, and moved his knight forward. He took a deep breath, calming his nerves and didn't look back up. When he wasn't looking at him, Lelouch could persuade himself that it hadn't been so serious, that he had been overreacting, his mind overactive. All Light was really suggesting was that they were like gods to their chess pieces, and it had nothing to do with reality… right? Light's hand snapped Lelouch out of his own thoughts as it landed on the white bishop. He slid it along until it reached Lelouch's knight, a sacrifice Lelouch had foreseen, and yet... Lelouch calculated the next few moves in quick succession. They were nearing the end of the match, although Lelouch couldn't foresee the winner yet. He had to be careful… he could see his win, as long as Light continued to play classically. Even if he didn't, Lelouch could still easily have his victory.

Lelouch pushed his hair out of his eyes, realizing he was sweating slightly, as he again set the black king forward. The collar of his school uniform felt too tight and his eyes were beginning to hurt. This wasn't right, he thought suddenly. He wasn't supposed to feel this way, not with the match drawing to a close, not to another _student_… he glanced up at Light quickly without raising his face.

He was smiling again, his face a mask of affability… but somehow Lelouch could tell it was only a mask. Underneath… underneath it lived something terrible, he knew instinctively. Something terrifying yet exquisite … and Lelouch found that he _needed_ to know what it was, what made Light Yagami so enthralling. And as much as he suddenly realized he feared the student sitting across from him, Lelouch was drawn inexplicably to him, his inquisitive mind having no less of him than the truth.

"Checkmate."

Light's statement caught Lelouch off guard and he looked down to the chessboard with a growing horror. Purple eyes wide, searching the checkered plane, racing through scenarios, it couldn't be true, but—

The black king had been caught, trapped from every side, no move available except those which would result in disgrace and defeat. Lelouch Lamperouge—Zero—had lost the match.

**--L--**

_So, I don't have a beta for this story, so if anyone finds anything wrong, please let me know.:) I really only wrote this so I could pair Light/Lelouch, the most sexy, arrogant, and self-righteous bishies I've come across so far, so the next chapter may not be yaoi-free. Surely, they can feel a dark attraction to each other..._

_Please drop a review and let me know how I've done with the cross!_


	2. Chapter 2

**The Chess Match**

**2**

**--L/L--**

Light had been told that the animal below him would be able to sense if he were nervous and react accordingly… but this was just too much. He hadn't been nervous, still wasn't, although now he was beginning to lose his temper. His thigh muscles, wrapped neatly in nearly nude-colored tights, were protesting in agony as he fumbled with the reins. The horse, that was reputed to be the gentlest in the Ashford Stables, danced sideways, tossing her long brown mane, and showing off the whites of her eyes. Light twined his gloved fingers into the mare's mane, hoping it would prevent him from being unseated as the mare continued to prance excitedly. His knees tensed reflexively, but he quickly relaxed them, trying to stretch his booted legs down around the sides of the mare instead as the equestrian club coach had instructed him during the last two days. The mare tried to leap forward, but the reins Light was still gripping tightly caught her by the bit.

This was not going as planned, he thought, his eyes following Lelouch's mount as the other boy rode in fluid harmony over the fences.

Lelouch finished his round, a smirk rising to his lips. It had been a clear round, no faults. Light wanted to rip his face off. This was technically a challenge between their physical abilities and everyone knew Lelouch skipped gym so often because he was unfit; Light, on the other hand, excelled at sports. His first time on a horse two days ago, and the equestrian club was begging him to join. He was a natural in the saddle, moving through all three gaits and over fences within an hour.

Lelouch cued his horse out of the arena, the slight smile never leaving as he looked Light and the mare up and down disdainfully. Light gave the mare a rough kick to move her forward into the ring, and she shot through it, nearly taking Light's leg off as she raced through the narrow entrance. As he pulled the mare back to a halt, he swore he could hear Lelouch laughing melodically from behind him. And with it, Light knew that somehow the bastard must have cheated.

He saluted Milly Ashford who had enthusiastically agreed to be the judge, dropping one hand from the reins and nodding his head once. The Student Council President stood and nodded back, the signal for him to proceed with his ride. Light gathered his reins, and shut out the rest of the crowd.

He took a deep breath. All he needed to do was get this horse over the fences in the correct order. He'd spent hours practicing yesterday, albeit with two different animals, but they all had the same commands in them. Squeezing or kicking meant forward, sitting up and pulling back on the reins meant stop. Pull on the left rein to turn left, the right to turn right. It was intuitive, and it had worked on the four other horses he had ridden. So why was this mare being so damn difficult?

He squeezed his legs, and the mare snorted as she moved abruptly into a brisk canter. Light's scarlet jacket flared out around his waist, and he moved into a more forward position to approach the first fence, coming around the outside bend of the ring.

It was the moment the chestnut mare saw the first obstacle that Light completely lost control. The mare charged forward like a rocket launcher and it was all he could do to cling to the saddle, his own momentum taking several strides to catch up with the mare's frantic pace. Thirty feet from the fence, Light managed to regain his balance enough to gather his reins, but the mare just stuck her nose straight into the air and galloped madly on. Light sat up, burying his weight firmly into the saddle, dimly remembering that his own body weight should, in theory, affect the horse as well, hopefully causing her to slow down a little. One massive stride from the fence, Light gave up hope and grabbed onto the mare's mane with both hands.

_Shit,_ Light thought, his capacity for intelligent reflection leaving his mind at the same moment the horse left the ground. Together, horse and rider lurched awkwardly over the fence, Light trying to close the angles in his body for a more streamlined appearance while the mare hollowed her back and brought her head nearly into Light's face. The teenager shut his eyes before the strands of chestnut mane whipped him across his eyes, and clutched on fiercely as his instinct for survival kicked into overdrive. He no longer thought about whether his heels were down or if there were a straight line from his elbow to the bit, he would be content as long as he didn't fall off the damn beast.

Muscles screaming fiercely, blood rushing through his ears nearly in time with the mare's echoing hoof beats, and eyes squeezed shut, Light didn't notice the rail fall behind the mare's hocks as she charged towards the next fence. Opening his amber eyes, Light tried in vain to pull the mare back again, but she just pulled harder against his hands. Realizing horses were inanely stupid and dangerous, Light vowed to never mount another horse again if he managed to survive this ordeal, his plans for nobility be damned.

The shrill sound of a whistle pierced his ears and he turned his head quickly to the source. Milly Ashford was standing and pointing excitedly somewhere behind him, emitting the high-pitched noises from a silver whistle between her teeth.

"Lelouch wins!" She shouted, dropping the whistle so that it hung by the chain around her neck. She pointed again at the fence behind him, so that Light was forced to twist sideways in the saddle to look back at it and the fallen pole that spelled his defeat. He had lost… to the physically-inept Lelouch?

"Look out!" Milly shouted frantically, suddenly looking directly at Light, but it was too late. With her rider still sitting crookedly, the mare lurched happily over the second fence, hitting the top rail square in the chest, and stumbling as she landed. Luckily she kept her footing, and Light was able to cling on somehow, his entire body whiplashed around in the saddle. At any moment, he felt his legs were really going to give up. Light heard Ryuk laughing from a perch outside the ring, but ignored him, focusing instead on the rapidly approaching side of the arena. The horse would stop before hitting that, right?

"Sit up!" He heard the voices of the crowd yelling, shouting, and shrieking directions to him. "Use your voice!" That was from one of the equestrian club members. Light doubted the soft aid would be any use at this point. "Pull back!" Light did as he was told, yanking back on the reins, yet the horse paid him no mind. "Turn left!" Light pulled sharply on the left rein, exhilarated when then mare's neck twisted… and then he heard everyone gasp in time with his heart skipping a beat. The chestnut mare's head was nearly facing him, but the beast was still galloping madly straight ahead.

"Give her her head!" came another cry, tinged with fear, but this one Light recognized as Lelouch's.

Light dismissed all other thoughts as he closed in on the single thing approaching him: the gleaming white wooden fence. He released his grip on the reins, eyes widening in terror—he knew instinctively there was no way to stop in time—the horse was going to kill him. He felt the mare suddenly sit back, her hindquarters sliding under both of them, her head flinging backwards towards Light's face, but they were moving too fast, still sliding, dirt flying—

The last thing Light saw was the sky somehow below him and then he was swallowed up by gleaming white.

**--L/L--**

"I still think it was a little careless of you, Lelouch," the green-haired woman told him, her gold eyes on her favorite stuffed toy. Cheese-kun, however, seemed to have his eyes focused on the purple-eyed boy.

Lelouch frowned. "My plan worked."

"Too well," C.C. finished for him. Lelouch cast her an irritated look, but she wasn't paying him any attention for as involved in a conversation as she was. He sighed, watching as she huggled Cheese-kun tighter.

"Well, he's not dead," Lelouch said at last, finally making C.C. look up at him. "A concussion is certainly part of the inherent risks of equestrian sports. It's not like he didn't know the consequences."

C.C. stared at him for a moment, and Lelouch wondered who he had been trying to convince. Obviously, the woman in front of him hardly cared about the matter… she looked back to Cheese-kun. How irritating.

"I'm going out," Lelouch announced, already striding towards the door as C.C. nodded absently.

Lelouch grabbed his jacket from beside the door, slipping his arms through it as he shut the door behind him. It wasn't as if there had been anyway he could have known the mare would throw Light into a fence… certainly he had bargained that Light would have had difficulties controlling the Thoroughbred after he had tripled her sweet feed the night before. He wouldn't have proposed the idea of a jumping match otherwise. That, and the other preparations.

Lelouch knew from experience that horseback riding used muscles that no other sport did. The former Britannian prince had taken lessons when he lived with his mother, and living next door to the equestrian club had kept those memories from fading. For as good at sports as Light was, Lelouch had been betting on the fact that the former Eleven had never been near a horse before. Being in great physical shape already would assure the other boy that he had a leg-up, so to speak, on Lelouch. And so after offering up the challenge, Lelouch had immediately taken him to the stables and each of them had picked a horse from the field. Neither of them would ride these horses until three days later, the day of the match. Until then, Lelouch graciously had allowed Light to practice as much as he wanted on any of the other mounts. Light had swallowed it all up and practiced several hours each day… only to find that muscle soreness always seemed to be the worst on the third day. Combined with a horse he had never ridden and was too hot to control, Lelouch knew it would be an easy win.

And the benefits were worth it: everyone was reminded that Lelouch was still their unbeatable vice-president, and that Light was really some kind of commoner masquerading as a Britannian. He couldn't even ride a horse, something the rest of them had learned at an early age.

Lelouch sighed. Still, if he had a fault, it would be that his plans had a tendency to work too well, just as C.C. had said. Hadn't he nearly wiped out an entire town with an earthquake that had been aimed at Britannian troops? Of course, the town had been evacuated for the most part… but it did show that perhaps sometimes he went a little overboard.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and looked out across the lawns of the Academy. But it was better to be over-prepared, he mused, than under-prepared and dead. Or, in the latest scenario, under-prepared and a loser.

The chess match rose up in his mind again, and the cold wave of horror that he had experienced when he had lost recalled itself to his mind. He replayed the battle in his mind, remembering how it had gone exactly, move for move. In hindsight, he saw exactly where he had made his mistakes, and yet… had he really been too wrapped up in what Light had been saying, in the way his amber eyes burned like molten amber, the way his voice persuaded him that he was greater than Zero, to notice that he was going to be defeated? It seemed utterly ridiculous now. Impossible.

But it didn't change the fact that it had happened.

Lelouch found himself cursing aloud. Why didn't he feel satisfied with his win against Light? Why did he feel as if there was something more to the Japanese teenager that he couldn't see, hiding beneath the smiling surface? What was it that drew Lelouch to him, a pathetic moth to his eager flame, and despite how Lelouch knew it, he still felt the invisible pull?

He needed to know more. And he hated it, the feeling of dependence on someone else, especially someone he didn't like, especially _Light Yagami_. That arrogant… peasant.

There was no way he'd apologize for besting him… but he figured he should probably visit him in the nurse's office, at least to keep up appearances.

Lelouch cursed again as he realized he was only making excuses, but his feet were already taking him to the nurse's room.

**--L/L--**

"The Royal Guard is requesting to speak with you," Watari said calmly. He set down the tray carefully, and then proceeded to pour tea.

"Ah, thank you," the detective said, taking one of teacups, his eyes still focused on several screens in front of him. The light reflected off his large dark eyes as he took a sip. "Tell them I will speak with them."

"They are on line thirteen," Watari informed the detective. L looked up at his caretaker for the first time since the older man had entered the room.

"Then I shall tell them myself." Leaning forward in his unnatural crouch, L switched over the phone line, and positioned his microphone closer.

"This is L."

The response came back somewhat crackly through his speakers. "I am Captain Randolph Mayer of the Royal Guard." L twisted a knob and the reception became clearer. "The Royal Family seeks your aid in a most distressing case. You will be well compen—"

"What case?" L interrupted him. Captain Mayer was too long-winded for L's tastes. Of course L would be paid for whatever work he performed. But if they wanted him to work on another case, did that mean Britannia didn't acknowledge that he was already working on the Kira case? Did they believe he had given up? …Or failed? L chewed on his thumb, a faint frown crossing his face.

"His most esteemed Highness, the Emperor of Britannia, wishes for the criminal known as Zero, currently active in Area Eleven, to be put behind bars," Captain Mayer intoned. L's eyes widened. Of course, he had already been watching Zero closely himself… the man that hid his name, his face, and attempted to stamp out the evil in Area Eleven with his vigilante Black Knights… did the Britannians also guess what he had mused over? Time to test it.

"And what of the Kira case?" L pressed.

"At this point, his Highness believes Zero to be the more pressing threat and—"

L interrupted again, his voice eager, but it didn't really come across through the voice modifier. "More of a threat than a killer who only needs a name and a face?"

"Well, I can't really say, I mean, his Highness—"

"I believe that Kira and Zero may be the same person. At the very least, they are very similar people who use similar tactics. It is likely they are in contact with one another," L stated succinctly. There was no response from the other end. L could almost hear the strangled gasps of surprise that were probably erupting from members of the Royal Guard in some locked room hundreds of miles away. L bit the tip of his thumb, finding that the thought required him to hold back a smile.

"I will take the case. You may negotiate a price with Watari."

L switched the phone line off, turning slightly and tilting his head to look at Watari. He took another slurp from his teacup, before setting it back down. Watari waited patiently for his young charge to speak.

"We will be going to Japan again, Watari. Please make preparations… I would like to stay outside the settlement in Area 11 with papers identifying myself as an Eleven."

"Then you intend to try to make contact with the Black Knights? Fieldwork has never been your style," Watari stated bluntly.

The detective's face suddenly transformed with the addition of a slight smile. "I think I lie well enough… and I won't need to disguise myself otherwise. I certainly look like I'm from the Ghetto."

L watched Watari sigh to mask a groan. L looked up at him curiously. "Do not think that was meant to reflect on the care you have given me. It is simply how I choose to present myself."

"I know, L," he said drolly, but then his demeanor became more serious. "Do you think you will catch Kira this time? And that he's Zero?"

L took picked up his teacup and inspected it carefully. "I'm hardly sure if Kira and Zero are one and the same… but perhaps I am not wrong." His dark eyes focused on the flowery pattern around the handle. "And as long Britannia doesn't interfere again, I will certainly catch Kira. If he isn't Zero…."

Watari nodded as L trailed off. Neither of them were entirely fond of Britannia, its tactics in the Kira investigation having destroyed all that L had managed to find on the murderer. Perhaps they'd let Zero have his way a little longer while they used Britannia's funds to capture Kira. And as long as Britannia believed Zero was Kira, they'd give him everything they had.

L found himself smiling again. This was going to be fun.

**--L/L--**

_So, wow. All the reviews… THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I tried to reply back to everyone with answers, thoughts, etc, which stemmed some really interesting conversations and input from you guys. This was really just supposed to be a random crossover, but after getting all your thoughts, I figured I'd make it worth your while and put some real thought into it. Thus you see the power of your own reviews: a longer, more fully developed story._

_Also, a lot of people seemed upset to see Lelouch lose to Light in the previous chapter, so here we have Light making a fool of himself and Lelouch winning at something Light is normally best at. Another direct result from your reviews. (Thank you!)_

_After much thought, I've decided that it will eventually feature a Light/Lelouch pairing and that it will most likely be central to the storyline (I was tossing around the idea of that pairing and keeping it a separate chapter that could be skipped over without losing much, but decided it'd be too hard), but for those of you who objected to yaoi, I'll put a warning at the top of chapters that have yaoi in it to be fair. I hope you'll still keep reading until then._

_As always, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!_


	3. Chapter 3

**The Chess Match**

**3**

**--L/L--**

So the Britannian had come to gloat over Light while he had been asleep in the nurse's office? Light still found that image disturbing in his imagination, the other boy hovering over his bedside, purple eyes probably laughing, his porcelain face tilted down to see his handiwork. The fact that he came proved to Light unquestionably that the entire competition had been rigged in the slender boy's favor. He just needed to find some kind of proof that he could bring against him, or at least some other kind of blackmail material.

Which was why Light was currently sneaking into the Student Council building at Ashford Academy. Everyone knew the vice-president lived there with his blind and crippled little sister and their maid. All of whom Light knew to be absent at this time, Lelouch reading Hamlet or some other highly dramatic bit of literature on the roof, Nunnally in her junior high mathematics class, and Sayako out shopping. Under the direction of Ashford's overbearing female president, the rest of the Student Council was out searching for Lelouch. What unremarkably predictable people they were, Light thought, wondering why Lelouch himself would put up with them.

Well, Light pondered, that _could_ be the reason Lelouch was hiding from them at that very moment. Shaking his head, auburn hair waving, Light pushed thoughts of his rival from his head and focused at hand.

The door was unlocked, and the ballroom was completely empty, save for twelve small tables, elaborately set with satin cloths and roses. Light found it distasteful, the extravagant display of wealth when hardly fifteen miles away, the true inhabitants of Japan were being systematically exterminated. Of course, that was why Light was now at this school, in this very room: to learn about his enemies, in order to bring them down. Lelouch may not be responsible for the deaths of any Japanese, but he was blocking Light's ascension to popularity and information, and thus an enemy.

That, and his head still hurt.

"Light," Ryuk groaned impatiently, "What exactly are we doing here? You going to kill that Lelouch?"

Light exhaled through his nose and tried not to let his irritation show. "No, Ryuk, that would be stupid."

"Well, he _did_ make an ass out of you…" the Death God continued, floating around Light's side until he was in front of him. As if Light needed a reminder of his humiliation to Lelouch. He didn't stop, walking right through Ryuk's torso without blinking.

"Oi! Light!" Ryuk shouted, miffed that Light was ignoring him as usual. Light didn't respond, preferring to climb the stairs. Lelouch's bedroom was on the second floor, and it was inside there that Light assumed he would find some kind of disgraceful and usable material.

He turned right after reaching the top of the stairs, heading for the first door, Ryuk following morosely behind, a hulking shadow. He had prepared a paperclip in case it was locked securely, but he had already learned that he could get inside any of the other dorms by being creative with his student ID. Slid between the crack of the door and the frame, underneath the lock, and usually the plastic card would open the door. With any luck, this door would be exactly like the rest on campus.

And so it seemed until his card failed to lift the small bolt. So Lelouch had added extra security? Light smiled; obviously Lelouch had something worth hiding.

He replaced the card back into his wallet, his fingers trading the laminated picture for the paperclip behind it.

Then the door opened.

Light's mind reeled, but he kept his facial expression neatly in check, even smiling at the odd woman before him half-heartedly. Lelouch kept a girl in his room? And she wasn't a student… judging from her long green hair, bizarrely buckled white clothing, and the very fact she was staying in Lelouch's room during the school day. Despite her strangeness, Light had to admit she was beautiful, and thus she was probably some kind of prostitute. His blackmail material was likely standing in front of him and all Light could think was that Lelouch seriously had strange tastes. Light felt let down by his rival, for some reason he couldn't place.

Her golden eyes flicked around the hallway behind him, demure yet insightful, before they came to rest on Light. "Who are you?"

Her voice was smooth and calm, but with a hint of firmness. Light let his smile fade a little, as if her words had hurt him, and slipped a hand into his pocket. "I'm Light… Light Yagami." He gave the woman an appraising look while at the same time pretending not to, the effect being one where it looked as if he were hiding his attempt to check her out. "And you are…?"

"A friend of Lelouch's." She appeared disinterested in him, her eyes wandering the hallway as if she expected more strangers to appear in front of the door. Light cursed inwardly, trying to think of a way to make the green-haired girl to tell him who she was or to let him inside Lelouch's room. His pocketed hand now rested on his cell phone; he would turn the situation to his advantage some way. He always did.

"Do you know when Lelouch is going to be back?" Light asked, making conversation. Perhaps he could convince the whore to let him stay, flirt enough so that she would believe he might become a customer.

…The lengths he went to fulfill his plans, Light thought, feeling unclean. He slipped the small phone out of his pocket unseen and gave the woman a reduced version of his sexy smirk. He needed to convince her first that he was looking for Lelouch—it was the only plausible explanation for being seen outside his room. He didn't want her to think he wasn't a friend of the purple-eyed vice president, but he needed to ease in the idea that he found her attractive.

"I know everything about Lelouch," she stated simply with a light tinkle to her words. Her eyes were still not on Light, but behind him somewhere. Ryuk laughed at her answer, Light assuming that even Death God had now realized the woman was probably the boy's mistress. She turned left and looked up towards the ceiling, then slid her golden eyes to find Light's. The result was coy, her lips curving up playfully.

"I'm beginning to believe that," Light answered, falling into step with her game and playing along. He took a single step closer, increasing the heat in his gaze.

"You don't even know the first thing about it, boy," she replied, amusement with a side of condescension. A single chuckle fell from her lips. Light decided to ignore her 'boy' comment.

"Then perhaps you can teach me," Light conceded, ignoring Ryuk's fits of laughter. No doubt the Death God found Light's flirtations 'interesting.' Light wished he could grit his teeth, but didn't give in to his urge.

She turned to him suddenly, all pretenses gone, her green hair swinging around her in the stillness of her figure. "What are you here for, Light Yagami?"

"I'm looking for something." Light left it vague, hoping she would turn the phrase into whatever she liked. It could refer to Lelouch, one of his secrets, her, or, at this point, plain sex. But he could sense the atmosphere shifting subtly... was she trying to be serious? Was there more going on here than met his eyes?

"Something in Lelouch's room?" she questioned, holding his gaze with her own. Hidden from view behind his thigh, Light flipped open his phone, his fingers silently tracing the memorized pattern to get to the camera option. Physical evidence was necessary if she were the key to getting even—no, ahead of Lelouch.

"Perhaps if I knew it was there, I wouldn't be looking for it," Light responded smoothly without giving her the answer she wanted. He locked his eyes onto her in a near predatory fashion, strengthening the connection between them so that he was now the one with power, keeping her eyes from wandering. Light took another step forward, their bodies only several inches apart.

She chuckled again, the tinkling sound of breaking glass, and Light realized he had sorely misjudged the situation. She wasn't reacting as she should be if she were truly a whore. This woman… was laughing at him, finding his attention amusing and ridiculous. Then what did her presence in Lelouch's room mean? He took his previous step back, eyes narrowing almost imperceptively as he considered her anew. She smiled, watching him, the expression honest for the first time and gently mocking. Light felt a curl of displeasure blossom in his stomach. She was smarter than he had assumed, and had drawn him along into believing in his vast superiority over her. Now he wasn't sure how vast that gap was. He needed to pull out before she got suspicious instead of entertained. He let his expression phase to one of sheepishness.

"Nevermind." He looked down, hiding his face as if he were embarrassed. "Look, I won't tell anyone you were here, if you don't tell Lelouch I was, uh, talking to you. Or here at all."

Not that he was highly opposed to lying, but he hadn't been planning to tell anyone about her until he was sure what she was anyway. It would seem like a fair trade, his silence for hers, as if Light wanted nothing more than to forget about ever meeting her. Especially as she would have more to fear if she were caught alone in a boy's room than he would be. He glanced up through the feathers of his bangs.

Her golden orbs were again flitting about the hallway, and Light seized his opportunity before she noticed his look, and she returned the glance. Her face was warm and distant at the same time as she looked him over and Light wondered whether some portion of that glance was now saved in his phone. "I won't tell."

"Thanks," Light said, visibly relieved on the outside, and nearly satisfied on the inside. He turned to go, then stopped himself, as if he had remembered something. "Won't you tell me your name?"

"C.C." She looked him in the eye and they both knew it was false. He smiled anyway.

"Then this is our little secret, C.C.." The feelings of intimacy and secrecy often worked wonders on women. He hoped it would work on her as well, although no obvious reasons for her to betray his presence without her own were apparent.

Light exited the building, deciding he had stumbled across something important, as long as he could figure out exactly was it was. He had certainly met his goal of discovering a secret of Lelouch's and had even obtained a picture. The girl, C.C., was obviously _something_ to the purple-eyed boy. The enigma spread out before him like unfolding origami, a welcome diversion from his usual business of being Kira. Without any threats from L after Britannia's invasion, being Kira was easier than he had ever imagined. He was even beginning to wonder whether L had actually _died_ when Britannia had come to stop him, the possibility of the detective being in Japan extremely high if Lind L. Taylor had been any clue. But just when Light's competitive nature had been piqued by L's display of mental capabilities, the government had gotten in the way. With Area 11 somewhat stable, L still had yet to show himself again. It was disappointing, but the lack that was L in his life probably triggered his need for a rivalry with Lelouch. His need to win against someone of intelligence. His need to crush Lelouch under Britannia's public scrutiny, and humiliate him for everyone to see.

It would be nice for once to be able to look the one he had destroyed in the eye, the knowledge of his actions spelled out in fury across Lelouch's pretty face.

**--L/L--**

"Brother?"

Lelouch reached over and took his sister's hand from where she was sitting with her toothbrush. "Are you ready for bed, Nunnally?"

The crippled girl smiled happily and squeezed his hand. "Yes, although… is everything alright?" Nunnally frowned slightly, tilting her head to the sound of his voice, a movement Lelouch had always imagined was in place of searching someone's eyes for the truth. "You seem... well, I heard about the contest from Milly, and she…."

"Ah, you're as perceptive as ever, Nunnally," Lelouch replied a little chagrined into Nunnally's faltering silence. Blind and crippled she may be, Nunnally still picked up on his moods better than anyone else, even if the reasons for his disposition weren't always clear. He sighed deeply, realizing that Nunnally was at least partially correct in this situation and that the contest was still bothering him. "You're right. I shouldn't have pushed him into a contest like that. I suppose I just wanted the challenge and for the rest of the school to… accept him. Yagami really is a nice person, it just takes everyone time to get over the fact that he once was an Eleven."

"Like Suzaku?" Nunnally questioned, her face open with thin eyebrows raised.

"Like Suzaku," Lelouch agreed, squeezing her hand again. "Now are you ready for bed?"

"Yes, Brother."

Lelouch took the pink toothbrush from her hand, replaced it in the bathroom cupboard, and moved around behind the wheelchair. Grasping the handles, he wheeled it gently into Nunnally's bedroom, locking the brakes next to the bed. Pulling back the blankets, Lelouch turned back to his sister. Her arms were lifted expectantly, and Lelouch completed the near ritualistic hug that lifted her out of the chair and onto the bed. Lelouch straightened her legs, and then together, brother and sister pulled up the covers.

"Comfortable?" he asked, sitting on the mattress to her side.

Nunnally nodded. "Like always. Goodnight, Brother."

"Goodnight, Nunnally."

Lelouch pet her hair for a moment, then stood, the soft mattress creaking under him, and headed for the door.

"Brother?" Nunnally's childlike voice echoed across the room.

"Yes?"

"I think I'd like to meet Light. It sounds like you two are friends. He's a nice person, isn't he."

Meet Light? There wasn't any reason not to, as much as Lelouch wanted there to be one. Light made him feel uncomfortable, almost inadequate in his own skin, but the truth was that the former Eleven wasn't a malevolent person. The more he thought about it, everything he had told Nunnally about Light Yagami in the bathroom had actually been true. When Lelouch studied the matter objectively, Light was a nice person and not one he should feel compelled to fear.

He was even better than Suzaku in many ways. At least Light wasn't in the army, trying to kill Lelouch as Zero. In fact, there was a high probability that Light wasn't fond of Britannia at all. Although, that was dangerous territory that Lelouch would likely never discuss with the honorary Britannian out of political correctness.

Somehow, without the dark skinned, auburn haired Japanese student around, Lelouch found that his hatred of Light stemmed solely from losing a single chess match and it suddenly seemed an awfully pathetic reason to hold a grudge. As Zero, he had more important things to do than worry about a game of chess against a fellow student. He was going to overthrow Britannia; losing once to Light meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, especially if he had already gotten his revenge. It might even help someday to have Light's intelligence on his side, he mused, so why not mend things before he needed that extra pawn?

"Yes, he is, Nunnally. I'll ask for you. Goodnight." Lelouch turned off the lamp, throwing the room into hues of blue and grey. He opened the door.

"Goodnight."

Closing the door quietly behind him, Lelouch headed to his own bedroom, his mind full of ideas on how to befriend Light. He would simply have to talk to him more, showing that he had faith in the honorary Britannian even when the rest of the school didn't. It wouldn't be too hard either, seeing as how they had already challenged each other, and Lelouch was known for befriending Suzaku before anyone else. The problem would be convincing Light he was serious about being friends.

Lelouch unlocked his door and opened it automatically, too wrapped up in his mind to register the process. Instinctively, Lelouch knew that sucking up to Light was out of the question. It was neither Lelouch's style, nor what Light would want in a friend. But what _was_ Light's type? A flutter of wind stirred in his stomach oddly as Lelouch contemplated how to get close to the other teenager.

"Light Yagami was here," C.C. announced lazily from the bed. Lelouch registered that her jumpsuit was lying in a pile on the floor as usual before the sounds made sense in his ears.

"What…?" Lelouch was horrified, all his good thoughts about Light fleeing into the shadows of his soul. Light had come to his _room_? Why? Was he some kind of spy for Britannia? But if that was true, was he trying to decipher whether Lelouch was a prince or a connection to Zero? Both? Lelouch recognized the feeling growing in his chest as panic and fear, his heart beat picking up and thumping wildly.

"He wanted me to keep it a secret." Her words were nonchalant as she snuggled under the blankets, only her yellow eyes visible and directed at her contractor.

"You spoke with him?" Lelouch was still in shock, his mind unraveling. What had Light been doing here, talking to C.C.? Surely, the witch wouldn't have made any deals with him….

"He said he was looking for something," she drawled, and Lelouch understood that she was teasing him now. He didn't find it funny, and stalked over to the bed, leaning over her with a hand on either side of her head.

"What did you say to him, witch?" Lelouch hissed, wishing to yell instead. She looked bored, instead of frightened or intimidated by his advance, averting her eyes to Cheese-kun next to her. Lelouch sat back onto his knees on the edge of the mattress, and ran a hand through his hair, closing his purple eyes. He shouldn't get so worked up… except he had just promised to introduce Nunnally to Light and the last thing he would ever do was put Nunnally in danger. C.C. returned her honey eyes to Lelouch's face, and he found her watching him critically when he opened his own.

"There was a monster with him."

A million questions sprang to life in Lelouch's mind, but as he opened his mouth to voice the majority of them, C.C. placed a finger to his lips to shush him. Lelouch paused to let her continue, and she removed her finger, her expression still serious.

"I don't believe he can see it exists. It follows him everywhere, but Light Yagami never seems to notice. I wonder if it's invisible," she said, pausing, but Lelouch knew by now that she was going to tell him everything important about it, so kept his mouth closed. C.C. sat up, the covers falling back around one of Lelouch's dress shirts and a bare thigh, but she didn't seem to notice her indiscretion or Lelouch's momentary lapse of concentration and pulled Cheese-kun into a hug. "I don't know what it is, but I believe both the boy and the monster are very dangerous."

She pursed her lips, then let out a sorrowful chuckle. "Probably for different reasons. Yagami was digging for something… perhaps he is dissatisfied with losing to you?"

Lelouch mulled it over for a moment. "That's probably very likely. However, the monster… why is it there? And what do you mean when you call it a 'monster?'"

A queer smile appeared on the witch's face as she answered, "Only that it's obviously less human than I am."

Lelouch frowned, disliking her answer. He liked thinking of C.C. as human, albeit immortal and rather bizarre. To the right people, C.C. was also dangerous. Did that mean she believed Light's monster was _more _dangerous than an immortal witch who could hand out the power of kings to whomever she pleased? Lelouch cursed himself for agreeing to let Nunnally meet Light and wondered how it had ever seemed like a good idea.

"Tell me everything that happened," Lelouch commanded masterfully. C.C. looked up at him, obviously bemused by the entire turn of events. Lelouch sighed, and then finished, "I just promised Nunnally I'd bring Yagami to meet her."

C.C.'s expression became suddenly empathetic. "I see. Very well."

She recalled the simple meeting, giving Lelouch a slightly irritated glance every time he interrupted with a question. Which was frequently. When she had finished her narration, she rolled over, her back facing her contractor.

"It _does_ seem that Yagami is indeed unaware of the monster… perhaps it has nothing to do with him. That may have been the only moment the monster was with him… it can't be watching you, though… can it? You would see it, wouldn't you?" Lelouch questioned towards the lump on the bed. He had researched his own geass thoroughly, but when it came to strange monsters and invisibility, he decided it was best to consult a witch. The situation smelled of unfamiliar magics.

"C.C.?" he tried, the girl oddly silent after his query.

A soft snore reached his ears, echoing the fall of C.C.'s side under the sheets. Exasperated, Lelouch felt like pounding his head against a wall for all the help a sleeping C.C. could give him. Resisting the temptation, Lelouch got up and merely switched off the lights before returning to the blankets on his couch-bed.

Apparently his questions would have to wait until morning.

**--L/L--**

* * *

_So yeah, more development and a much longer wait than I had anticipated. If I didn't get so many reviews, I probably would have dropped this story, so thanks muchly to everyone. I still try to get back to all of you who leave reviews personally, but sorry if I missed you. Or told you I'd be updating sooner. I won't lie this time… it'll likely be awhile because that's how I roll. And I'm going to be extremely busy this month. But, who knows, maybe I'll crank it out in the next few days and surprise everyone? A little birthday present to myself…. XD_

_Anyway, the plot thickens and I give out HUGE thanks to Tobi Tortue to helping me fix the Light meets C.C. scene. Those two are amazing fun to write together, but I'm glad you pointed out the oocness before it got posted._

_Please do your duty and click the button down below. Remember that your reviews are keeping this story alive._


	4. Chapter 4

**The Chess Match**

**4**

**--L/L--**

For now, Lelouch's plan was simple: find out every bit of information available on Light Yagami. Especially anything relating the other student to the monster C.C. had told him about. This meant researching Light's whereabouts and activities before he had joined Ashford and before he had become an honorary Britannian citizen. Considering the bombings of most of the government buildings during the invasion, records of before it were arbitrarily difficult to come by.

Still, it was the information age, and Lelouch began with a search on , his preferred search engine. It couldn't hurt to try the simplest technique first.

_Ra-i-to Ya-kami, _his long fingers flew over the keys, the first name in katakana, the last name with it's two kanji characters. Lelouch still found it odd that for many Japanese words, he needed to spell the pronunciation wrong in order to find the right kanji. Even English wasn't _that_ confusing. He clicked 'search.'

A moment later, possibilities flashed up onto the screen. His lavender eyes glanced over the list quickly and efficiently, not terribly surprised to find little of value. Light bulbs, lamps, Right-on clothing brand, a computer networking system called Right, and several comedy sites with lots of English comprised the majority of the listing, complete with a single hit on the Wright brothers. Apparently, it was more common for the katakana word to be transliterated into English as "right" rather than "light." And Yagami was not as rare a last name as Lelouch could have hoped.

Undeterred by the lack of results, Lelouch changed his search, thinking carefully. If he were looking for information about Light _before_ the invasion, then he needed to search as if it _was_ before Britannia's attack. He deleted the name from the search bar, before beginning again.

"_Ya-kam__i Tsuki." _Last name first was traditionally Japanese and again, Light's name was another fine example of Japanese writing not making any sense. Lelouch somehow found it more irritating than it had a right to be. Taking a deep breath and blinking the frustration from his purple eyes, he clicked the search button.

This time, as his eyes flew over the mixed letters and characters, the results shocked him.

"_Chyuugaku no tenisu no senshuken __**Yagami**__**Tsuki**__ wa..."_

"Junior high tennis champion Yagami Light is…"

"…_**Yagami**__-shuchyou no musuko-san __**Yagami Tsuki**__ mo te wo…."_

"…Chief Yagami's son Yagami Light also gave a hand…."

"…_Toukyou keisatsu no __**Yagami**__-shuchyou ga 'KIRA wo kanarazu taiho shimasu' to itte… …musuko-san __**Tsuki**__…." _

"We will definitely arrest Kira," Chief Yagami of the Tokyo police said… … his son Light…."

Fear tingled through Lelouch's mind, sliding down to his fingertips, leaving the cold imprint of danger to resonate through his blood. The few words revealed in the search engine listing burst into tangents like fireworks, leaving thousands of falling trails of suspicion. For a long moment, Lelouch couldn't move, almost afraid of what he would discover, but something—instinct, probably—forced his hand on the mouse to continue moving. Logic told him the more information he had, the better off he would be. A few more clicks in the right places and a more complete picture of Light Yagami formed in Lelouch's mind merging into the one that was only slightly more than a classmate. His first reaction of immediate fear gone almost as quickly as it had arrived, Lelouch began to realize exactly who he was dealing with. His fear was now slowly being replaced with a kind of dread mixed with a decidedly unhealthy fascination. The more he read, the more the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and the more he couldn't stop researching.

Light Yagami was the son of Tokyo's once esteemed police chief, Souichirou Yagami, now fallen before the eyes of the Elevens for supporting Britannia's entry to Japan. One of the lucky ones to be actually remembered by Britannia after the war, the entire Yagami family had been lifted into honorable citizenry. More importantly, Souichirou's singular goal had been his pursuit of Kira, and it seemed his son had shared his passion for justice.

It was disturbing to realize that he was being stalked by an unnaturally intelligent student with some experience as a detective. It was even more unnerving to realize that he didn't know Yagami's goals and that the other teenager had worked on the most difficult police case ever presented. He felt trapped because he had already promised Nunnally to introduce Yagami to her, but now his instincts were warning him to stay far, far away. If anyone were likely to discover their royal secret, it would be someone with Yagami's talents. Best not to get involved with the honorary Britannian, and yet… it was too late. It seemed he had been too late the moment he had accepted the chess match.

Lelouch shuddered, his mind reaching up to the monster and the lurking possibilities it could represent. Invisible to all but a witch, the monster stalked Yagami around Lelouch's room. Before the ex-prince could leap to any conclusions, he needed to know whether the monster was consistently a part of Yagami's environment. If C.C. never saw the monster again… well, that would be best. It meant that such a beast had nothing to do with Yagami, and certainly had no business with Lelouch. Unless it watched and waited around the Student Council building? No, he thought, passing over the thought quickly. C.C. would have seen the monster before if that were truly the case. And if it were connected with the Geass, he was sure C.C. would have known more about it. It led to the conclusion that perhaps the world was full of the supernatural. However, if the creature consistently followed Yagami around….

Lelouch exhaled sharply. There would be no way around the truth; the only serious conclusion that was left was that the monster was Kira. It obviously already held supernatural characteristics; who was to say it couldn't kill any of them on the spot? C.C. had only said that she was positive the monster was dangerous and after explaining how it had laughed, Lelouch believed her. He felt queasy suddenly, realizing that if his deductions were correct, Yagami Light would likely die. Probably soon if he were still looking into the Kira case. The memory of Lind L. Taylor's public television execution was something no one could easily forget. He swallowed against his own restricting throat and the unpleasantness of the thought.

Lelouch glanced at the clock in the corner of his screen. It was still early in the morning and yet he already had a headache. In his mind, Yagami had gone from evil mastermind intent on destroying him and Nunnally to a pitiable boy soon to be slaughtered. Lelouch nearly laughed aloud at himself—what if the monster wasn't Kira? He was still short on information about the beast, and he was basing his attitude towards Yagami on it. He still didn't know what identity was true, or whether there was some variation in between on a shifting scale between friend and foe.

Wait, since when had Yagami ever been considered a friend?

It was suddenly so very tempting to use the Geass on the student just to get it all over with. He could ask him what his purpose was, perhaps why he was so interested in Lelouch, and then command the former Eleven to perform some idiotic task for amusement. Lelouch could look down on him and laugh to his black heart's content, but as much as the thought appealed to his darker desires, Lelouch couldn't help but feel it would be wasting the Geass. What if it was more useful to apply it in a different way? There was still too much about Yagami that he didn't know.

That would have to change.

Lelouch sighed, and the sheets on his bed rustled in response as C.C. rolled over. No matter how he looked at it, his promise to Nunnally came first and he figured he might as well use the encounter to his advantage.

**--L/L--**

Light was bored and the world was still rotten.

He sighed. Certainly, it had been getting better—crime rates in Japan were now the lowest in easily recordable history—but then the sudden influx of foreigners and the discontent they bred had washed away most of Kira's good work. The worst part was that these aforementioned foreigners had such convoluted family histories that hid their true names. Of course that hadn't prevented Light from an incredible amount of research that had allowed a good number of the corrupt Britannian nobility to serve the death penalty, but after the first several weeks… there was no new information and even some of the data that had previously been attainable had vanished. As much as Light hated to admit it, the Britannians were intelligent and had quickly become adept at hiding themselves.

And yet Kira wasn't finished. It was to this end, that Light had created careful friendships with his classmates and continued to cultivate their good regards. And as such, he knew exactly to whom he should talk to about secret information that applied to Lelouch to attain his revenge.

"Milly Ashford?" Light began, a little hesitant in his poise to give off the impression he wasn't sure he should consult her. But off course, with such bait, the right intonation, there was no chance the school president wouldn't pounce.

"Did you need something, Light?" Her voice tinkled sweetly, but held some air of authority. Milly looked him directly in the face, a bright smile plastered onto her visage.

"I was just wondering… do you know who this student is?" Still giving off the air of a simple questioning student, Light held up his cell phone, the picture of C.C. on it's little screen. "She seems pretty distinctive, but I haven't seen her anywhere else…."

Milly leaned in immediately, peering at the image. "Hmm? No, she's not from Ashford." Well, that was what Light had suspected immediately. Suddenly, the president moved in closer to Light, a cat-like smile sprouting like vines across her face. "Were you hoping to go. On. A. Date?"

She punctuated her last four words with a mildly seductive tone and an index finger into Light's shoulder. He tried not to sigh; of course he wasn't interested in her, but then realized quickly it would be easy to play it up. He tried to blush, even though he knew his acting skills in _that_ area had never been up to par with the rest of his abilities. Ryuk's barking laugh echoed behind him, making Light silently curse his hulking shadow.

"N-No. I just thought… well, I wondered if she was dating Lelouch already."

An immediate change went over Milly, from sultry teasing to barely contained excitement. She forcible snatched the phone from Light's hand, staring intently at the picture with manic intent. "Lelouch? Is that _Lelouch's_ room?! Aha!"

She looked up to Light for confirmation, and he obliged her with a somewhat shaky nod. That in turn elicited another shout of glee. _This_ girl suddenly seemed far too powerful to be contained in a tiny private high school… she was a little too domineering.

"When was this? Do you know anything about her? I had no idea this was Lelouch's type!" Milly had returned her gaze to the tiny screen as if her questions could be easily answered there. "I _knew_ he was up to something, but I never would have pegged him to be _that_ kind of man! This is the best scoop on him since he began living here, Light!"

Milly proceeded to give the Honorary Britannian a hug around his shoulders, seemingly unable to keep her excitement to a more normal level. She continued to prance around vivaciously for several more moments until coming to an abrupt stop. Her look to Light said her next words were important, as did her slow even voice. "Do you suppose Shirley knows?"

Light easily grasped the meaning behind her words, Milly's knowledge becoming his own. Using it wisely meant the next person he would ask about the mysterious girl would be Shirley. Hiding his inner smile of delight, Light shook his head in response to Milly's question. "I don't know."

The president was quietly pensive, as if her earlier exuberance had never occurred, and just as Light was considering asking for his cell phone back, Milly held it out to him. As she did so, she somehow managed to revert back to her former self that was normally seen on campus, more demure than excited, but encouragingly friendly nonetheless.

"You'll probably want this back."

Light took his phone, and pocketed it, smiling back. A healthy relationship with Milly could only benefit him in the best ways. "Yes, thanks."

Light turned to go, but she caught him by the shoulder, peering into his eyes with the same catty expression... although there was a certain seriousness that hadn't been present before. "Thanks for the tip, Light. Whenever you find anything about Lelouch, be sure to let me know, okay?"

Interesting. He was now presented with possibilities, but all of them seemed to point to Lelouch hiding something. Either Milly knew what it was and would protect Lelouch, or she was also gathering information about the Student Council Vice President. So was Milly a potential ally or enemy in his quest to uncover the teenager?

He smiled again, reassuring Milly of his friendly nature and willingness to share. "Of course."

"I'll catch you later, then, okay?" Milly shouted as she bubbled off down the hallway in the opposite direction. It seemed she was heading for the Student Council room.

Light turned towards the swim hall. He knew Shirley was on the swim team—what male didn't?—but also knew it wasn't entirely proper to watch them practice. He would have to wait around until she was done before asking questions.

He continued on down the hallway, turning a corner and then almost wishing he hadn't. Despite how he had been carefully avoiding Suzaku Kururugi, the other student still hadn't managed to figure it out.

"Light!" Suzaku called out, giving a friendly wave. Holding back a sigh, Light ventured over, Suzaku meeting him halfway.

"Do you know if Lelouch ran off to go play chess again? I can't find Rivalz either, and…." Suzaku trailed off, his expression somewhat helpless.

Again, Lelouch. It was nearly uncanny how the purple-eyed Britannian was everyone's focus, including Light's own at the moment. How could the object of such focus be so clearly enigmatic though? Where _was_ Lelouch?

"I'm really not sure, but I did see Rivalz heading to the Student Council room after class, so hopefully he isn't gambling, right?" Light didn't see the purpose in lying to Suzaku, as much as he wanted to send the former Japanese on a wild goose chase.

"Oh. So maybe he's already in there?" Suzaku asked, more to himself than to Light. Ever the analyst, Light's mind produced questions from the information in front of him. Why was Suzaku so concerned about Lelouch? This also seemed to point to some kind of hidden aspect of Lelouch's life, but did Suzaku know what it was? Did he know that Milly was also curious in who knew what information?

He pulled out his phone, looking down to open the picture menu while he spoke. "Maybe. Do you know if Lelouch has a girlfriend?"

"Huh? Lelouch?" Suzaku looked genuinely surprised, his green eyes clouding over with thought. "He hasn't ever told me…." Suzaku's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion at Light, although Light supposed it was really meant for Lelouch. "Why? You don't think he does, do you?"

Light used his thumb to scroll down and selected the picture of the green-haired woman. "Well, I saw this girl—"

"Yagami," came a smooth voice, and both the once-Elevens turned, forgetting the picture. Lelouch stood there, his black uniform only serving to make his hair look silkier in contrast. A smile graced his face, and he nodded to Suzaku with his greeting, "And Suzaku."

"Lelouch! I thought you went out gambling or something," Suzaku began happily, but ending up nearly muttering in embarrassment by the end. Apparently, he was ashamed of himself for thinking poorly of his friend.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time, but I'm afraid you're out of luck, Suzaku," Lelouch told him calmly, the hint of a smirk playing across his features. It was as he turned towards Light that the atmosphere between them discharged into invisible lines of lightning. At that moment, Light knew without out a doubt that their game was still on, crackling through the air somewhere above Suzaku's head. His heart thudded in anticipation. _This_ was what he had been craving without knowing… another rematch with Lelouch.

"Yagami, my sister has expressed an interest in meeting you. Apparently, Milly has told her quite a bit about our…exploits. Would you join us for dinner tomorrow evening?" It seemed like a simple enough request, and yet Light noticed something in the set of the other youth's shoulders. It wasn't quite a tenseness; more like a preparedness, as if Lelouch was expecting something more than a simple acceptance of the invitation.

There was no way in the world Light wouldn't give him more than what he was expecting. His opponent had just invited him into his home, across the threshold. Did Lelouch even realize the opening he was giving Light? Warring with excitement and the stimulating environment, he schooled his handsome features into a courteous and gentile smile. "Of course, I'd be honored in meeting your sister, Lelouch."

"Then I'll see you outside the Student Council building at six o'clock?" Lelouch's voice was saturated with his usual cool tones, his body position casual, but his eyes… his purple orbs held the expression Light remembered from their chess match.

A hint of fear, thinly veiled under the cover of conceit.

A shot of adrenaline rocketed through Light's body. _This_ was the game he loved to play, and Lelouch seemed to be transforming into a worthy opponent.

"You'll see me there."

--L/L--

While L hadn't assumed infiltrating the Order of the Black Knights would be easy, he didn't like how much time it would take. He'd already been living alone in the ghetto for two weeks and the inhabitants were just beginning to lose the marked suspicion in their eyes. And those were only his neighbors. He considered Zero to be nearly as paranoid as he was himself, which meant even if he managed to get into the Order, getting close to Zero would be another, longer process.

Still, L had been out and about as Rue Ryuuzaki, an intelligent, if a bit gung-ho supporter of Zero. His neighbors were aware of how he came from a ghetto in Nara with the intent of joining the Black Knights, and while quietly supportive, they hadn't given out any directions or names that might help him.

At this rate, it seemed like months would pass before the Black Knights noticed Rue Ryuuzaki and allowed him to enter their militia. L didn't have months, and even if he did, he certainly didn't intend to spend that long on this case.

But one's enemy's enemy was one's friend. And Zero's enemy was quite obviously Britannia. L brought his thumb to his lip and chewed on it thoughtfully. His other plan might assure his entrance into the Order much sooner and he had already begun the preparations anyway. He had made his presence and objectives known in the ghetto long enough for no one to be utterly surprised when….

L's cell phone began to vibrate, buzzing slightly sideways across the small table. The detective picked it up in his peculiar fashion, checking the screen. The gothic W of Watari. He sighed before flipping open the phone. Watari wouldn't like what L was about to tell him.

"This is L."

"Good day, L," Watari began as he usually did with some kind of pleasantries, despite how L had never reciprocated his manners. "I hope you're doing well."

"I am," L replied succinctly. He heard Watari sigh through the receiver, and his lips turned upwards slightly at another failed attempt by his caretaker at pulling some kind of dignified response out of him.

"I had the information you requested sent to your Wammy account, but… L, I'm not sure if what you may be planning is… safe." Watari's voice was heavy, yet careful. Obviously, he was worried.

"You aren't aware of my plan, Watari," L reminded him.

"I know you well enough that I have a good guess, and the information you wanted certainly pointed me in the right direction. But if you insist I am unaware, then you may tell me." It was at times like these that L remembered Watari was like a father to him, and he supposed the old man had remembered it as well. The tones in his voice were sharp and unassailable, leaving no room for argument. L hesitated.

"I… need to do this, and the risk is not as great as you seem to think," L hedged, his monotone careful.

"You plan on showing your _face_, L, on nothing less than international television," Watari countered harshly. "In your haste to pursue Zero, it seems you may be forgetting Kira."

"I have certainly not forgotten him," L replied sulkily, "I simply need to convince Britannia that I am doing something worth their money."

"In my professional opinion, this plan is not _worth_ it, L."

"And your profession would be an inventor. I, however, am a detective, so we shall assume I know the field better," L argued insistently, knowing that Watari would likely end his complaints. He had never been able to hold out an argument for long against his young charge.

"L…." The detective smiled, hearing the resignation spoken aloud in his own name.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Watari," L spoke over whatever the man would have followed with, and moved on. "I will not be in contact for several days, so I must ask you to watch the Kira case and monitor any deaths among criminals or nobility. When you hear from me again, perhaps I will have Zero's name and face among my own records."

"You really don't think the two are the same, do you," Watari said, the onerous acceptance of L's latest plan still plain in his voice. It was a heavy statement, hardly resembling a question.

"I still can't rule out the possibility, but their methods are rather different. Unlike Kira, Zero shows himself off everywhere he goes. Kira only goes by a name, one that he didn't even choose himself. He sees himself as a god, above most mundane issues, but Zero sees himself as a hero. He is very showy, and uses the media and information better than anyone I've come across... he's also rather underhanded," L mused, trying not to smile at his last statement.

"Like someone else I know?" Watari asked dryly.

"Perhaps I am more like Zero than I am like Kira?" L asked, the delicate lilt of his words indicating his humor.

"Just be careful out there, L," Watari replied gravely. "This is an extremely dangerous maneuver. Are you sure Zero will even come?"

Lips curved upwards into a rare and slender smile, L glanced out the dirty little window into the Shinjuku ghetto. Scattered Elevens wandered around, picking at the dirt and junk on the ground. It was noble of Zero to try to protect these people.

"Yes. This is an opportunity Zero can't afford to miss."

**--L/L--**

* * *

_Oh my gosh! I posted! Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers (I can't believe there are so many of you!):_

_Infinite Freedom, RuByMoOn17, Elladan, Azul Luna, darky, Tobi Tortue, X6shinX, Sungerson, Serena the Hikari of Love, Yuudai Arai, Anime-StarWars-fan-zach, Princess of Oblivion, labyrinth of chaos, gillstewart, Unkown, KuroAngelique, limes-eye, RVD, deathnoteno1fan, RandomReview-er, Chao, HayashiOkami, cherryi, and ??. _

_A round of applause goes to Bolinoak (cheer for this dude, dear readers) who agreed to do some beta word for me. Thank you! Your comments were really helpful and hopefully I made Lelouch's line of reasoning a little clearer._

_And special thanks to whoever was the Anon person who wrote only 'Sux,' I wanted to say that that made my day because I laughed my ass off at said Anon's attempt at making me feel bad. Sorry, but my self-esteem is still greater than yours. I'm also counting it as my first flame._


	5. Chapter 5

_So... a bit of an author's note here. Obviously, I don't update very often. But I DO UPDATE. This story is certainly not abandoned and I thank everyone who has left a review for me because you guys are awesome and if you there wasn't this much support, it might actually have been abandoned around chapter 2 or something. BUT THERE WILL BE A CHAPTER SIX, SO DON'T FREAK OUT. Anyway, let me know what you think about this chapter in the form of a review, or if you have any questions, I'm always happy to answer them._

_So thankies to: RuByMoOn17, selinaMatanteiLoki4ever, Fredryck, jHeyTTernallie, Tetsukon, SlvrSoleAlchmst1, RyougaZell (even if you aren't reading anymore because there is a possibitlity of yaoi *snort*), Nubial Sheep, Unknown, Kerii-tan, Anime-StarWars-fan-zach, AshBender (Oh, yes, the Magnificent Bastardry surely does XD), Arai Yuudai (unless you prefer Yuudai Arai), PurpleKiwi, Peacemaker17, SimplyMagic-x, Himizu, The Blizzard Alchemist, ???, Crazy Little Feline, Kirikomi (HEY EVERYONE, CHECK OUT THE AWESOME FAN ART FOR THIS STORY BY KIRIKOMI-THERE BE A LINK ON MY PROFILE PAGE), Zammy, Hokaru-no-Maki-to-sendo, chinoodin, Ken Wise, HayashiOkami, Serena the Hikari of Love, Nameless Witch, Tanya Adams 64, bloddyknight85, ss, deathnoteno1fan-codegeasslover (thank you for the compliments--I shall work on my writhing), Kalaong, Esmenet, Ireina Kurotsuki, Infinite Hypernova of Despair, aaattttackkkkk, shukuun, Noir Idol, lunabell0, Miraploy (I laugh when you write 'sux' then ask me to update, XD), and Hyrulehalfbreed.  
_

_And special thanks to: The Angelic Demoness, Tobi Tortue, and Bolinoak for helping with the beta process. And everyone should thank KuroAngelique, for kicking me into gear to finish the chapter, which you'll all be glad to know is MUCH longer than usual. Think of it as my way of trying to make up for it._

_And on a final note, the most yaoi it gets in this chapter are angry/scared eye stares. So my non-yaoi readers, you have nothing much to fear. Yaoi-readers: interpret how you will. All: Enjoy._

* * *

**The Chess Match**

**5**

**--L/L—**

"C.C…. is the monster still following him?" Lelouch asked, peering out the second story window. Light Yagami was walking down the sandy gravel drive towards the clubhouse, the sun drawing closer to the horizon.

The green-haired witch blinked, flicking her eyes sideways out the window. "Yes."

Lelouch's fist clenched. So, Kira would be listening in on the dinner conversation. The exiled prince gritted his teeth. How had he managed to invite Kira to the same table as Nunnally? The very same Kira who aspired to exterminate Britannian nobility?

Noticing C.C.'s honey eyes on him, Lelouch calmed himself. There wasn't anything he could do about the situation now, and he still held the advantage. No one else knew that Lelouch was aware of the beast's existence, and it was unlikely that Kira knew of Lelouch and Nunnally's true identities.

"You'd probably better go, Lelouch," C.C. drawled, "Light will be at the door soon."

Lelouch swallowed his anxiety uneasily, but then left the emotion behind, mentally putting on his mask. "You'll need to watch Kira's movements during dinner. I'll need to ascertain its level of threat… if you get the suspicion that it will kill, removing Nunnally from the situation is the highest priority."

C.C. smirked as Lelouch rattled off his orders. "Of course, Lord Zero. Now that we've gone over this plan a third time, I'm sure I won't forget how useful my eyes are."

Lelouch's look in return was hard. "This isn't a joking matter, C.C.. And right now, it's already dangerous enough for me to be Lelouch… don't complicate things."

C.C. sighed and leaned against the wall near the window, her hand brushing the drapes. Lelouch took it as a sign of compliance with his wishes and turned on his heel, heading down the stairs.

His heart quickened despite his resolve when the knock sounded, echoing across the large front room. Sayako appeared from the kitchen entrance, but Lelouch waved her away with a smile, being closest to the door.

He forced himself to smile before he opened it. "Yagami, I'm glad you could make it."

Light was standing before him, still in his school uniform, his auburn hair catching the long rays of the evening sun. Lelouch smothered the unnerving feeling of being in Light's presence and stepped back. "Please come inside."

"Thank you, and excuse me for the intrusion," Light replied politely. He bowed slightly as he entered, a movement Lelouch recognized as something Suzaku would do. The Britannian kept the slight smirk off his face… of course one couldn't stamp the ideals out of a Japanese person. It was something Lelouch could only approve of, showing that perhaps Light wasn't as thoroughly Britannian as his honorable status would imply.

"We'll be having dinner in the courtyard," Lelouch informed his guest, leading the way among the many small circular tables towards the inner sanctuary. Light's eyes kept landing on the intricate centerpieces, and Lelouch felt like he could nearly read the expression on the other boy's face. Light held his face nearly slack so that anyone looking would assume he was relaxed. Except that Lelouch wasn't just anyone and knew how to read faces. It was the slightest twitch of Light's eyes that gave him away, the chocolate orbs never settling on any single object for very long. Still, Light must be an exceptional actor to make Lelouch hesitate to guess exactly what the other boy was hiding. Jealousy at the extravagant wealth portrayed? Or perhaps anger?

Lelouch glanced away quickly before Light caught him studying the other boy. It wouldn't do for Light to realize how much Lelouch enjoyed seeing Light out of his element. Reaching the doors, the prince swept them both open dramatically, hoping to dazzle the poorer student with the setting.

"Brother?" Nunnally called from near the rose bushes across the courtyard, her dress a matching pastel pink. The lingering scent of the flowers wafted gently towards the two boys, but it was nearly drowned out by the rich smells from the covered dishes set out neatly. Sayako seemed to appear as if by magic from another entryway to the courtyard, holding one last steaming dish. The effect was everything Lelouch could flaunt to his rival: Britannian wealth, power, and beauty all in radiant display, and it was Light's kind, the Japanese, that served him. Light had no place challenging Lelouch at anything. His purple eyes slid sideways, watching Light's reaction, even as he called back in reply to Nunnally.

Light's face still gave off his relaxed pose, and Lelouch couldn't tell if Light had gotten his message, which was irksome. While Lelouch could not have arranged dinner any other way—that was how any guest of his would eat—the meal certainly pointed to Lelouch's superiority over Light. He waited for Light to make his move, something that would indirectly address the issue, like placing a pawn in a near-threatening position. His heart skipped as Light turned to him, then it fell out through his feet when the Honorary Britannian smiled. It was almost as if he could physically feel his mask cracking and slipping.

"It's very nice, Lelouch," he said, looking his addressee in the eye so that Lelouch had to suppress the instinct to Geass him into complete submission out of some sudden and unexplainable fear, "I suppose I'll get the honor of meeting your sister now?"

His question and allusion to Nunnally startled Lelouch enough to give him the motivation to recover, snapping his mask back into place. He was again calm and cool. So what if Light hadn't been impressed thus far?

"Ah, of course." Lelouch stepped down, and crossed the courtyard to Nunnally's wheelchair. His sister's face followed the sound of their footsteps as they approached.

"And you must be Light, am I correct?" Nunnally questioned innocently when their footsteps ceased.

"Yes," Light replied with a warm tenderness that Lelouch had never heard in his voice before. In that instant, Lelouch remembered with some bewilderment that Light had a younger sister as well. "And you would be Nunnally."

"I am," she stated plainly, then held out a hand. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have your hand… I can't see, so it's the best I can do to get a feel for someone's character."

Light obliged, placing his hand into Nunnally's outstretched ones. She felt his hands carefully, a slight crease in her forehead before her fingers graced over the end of his ring finger and the slight callus there. Her expression changed into a warm smile. "Ah, Light must write a lot, don't you? And such a warm hand."

"I admit I spend a lot of my time studying," Light confessed to the girl, before extracting his hand carefully. The Japanese youth smiled, but Lelouch felt a small wave of protectiveness wash over him. While he'd certainly rather have Light smile at Nunnally, it didn't mean he liked it.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, shall we eat?" Lelouch asked, gesturing with a hand towards the laden table. He moved behind Nunnally's wheelchair and pushed her to the head of the table where a place was set except for a chair. Lelouch next motioned to the chair at Nunnally's left and opposite to his own for Light. "Please have a seat, Yagami."

There was a few minutes of quiet interspersed only with the clanking of dinnerware and polite requests for dishes to be passed. Then came the typical remarks from the guest as Light first tasted the food. And yet, Lelouch wasn't satisfied. Here was his rival, calmly accepting the way of the world and its codes of politeness with ease and grace. It didn't fit with what Lelouch had expected from him. Where was Light's challenging nature? The crackling intensity that Lelouch had been anticipating?

It was annoying to find the feeling missing.

Lelouch watched Light gently cut a piece of steak, and deftly take it into his mouth. The Honorary Britannian didn't look up, and the edges of his hair grazed the tips of his eyelashes. A study in grace, Lelouch thought darkly, not wanting to admit that Light might indeed be winning this round.

"Forgive me for being so curious, Light, but do you have any hobbies? What club are you in?" Nunnally asked, her child's voice sweet and innocent between mouthfuls.

Lelouch watched Light carefully as he responded. "I used to play tennis in junior high, so I was considering joining the tennis club, although…" Light looked up to meet Lelouch in the eyes, sending a jolt of exhilaration through Lelouch, "…I might pick up horseback riding, seeing as how much I enjoyed that experience."

Light's face plainly said otherwise, even though his voice was smooth enough to fool Nunnally. Lelouch was at once wary and entranced.

"Really? I'm glad you weren't unable to enjoy the sport after my brother's contest. You really shouldn't let him get away with things like that, Light," Nunnally said, relief evident in her voice, although it was obvious that Lelouch was also being scolded. That had to be mended first, and he turned away from Light.

"I didn't know the horse would throw him, Nunnally," Lelouch replied gently, before his eyes were drawn back to Light's almond magnets. But then he couldn't resist pushing their contest one step further. "And I had thought Yagami was more capable of holding on. I suppose I overestimated his abilities."

The corners of Light's lips curved upward, and Lelouch felt it in the pit of his stomach. He forced himself to sit still in his seat, knowing any ruffle of his clothes could be a hint to Nunnally. There was no doubt in Lelouch's mind that Light had already thought the same thing… realizing they could hold a conversation solely with their eyes, their syllables full of double meanings and hidden insults.

"I suppose I was simply unlucky when I first chose the horse," Light replied, his chocolate eyes saying he knew Lelouch was responsible for the horse's behavior. A thrill of excitement and dread raced through Lelouch's veins. The Japanese boy had decided it was Lelouch's fault and yet they both knew he had no way to prove it. Lelouch could tell it must irritate the young detective to no end. He allowed himself a small smile, conceding to Light that he was responsible for the sabotage.

"Normally, all the horses are so well behaved, it was quite shocking," Lelouch replied smoothly.

Nunnally smiled into the air between them. "It must have been a frightening experience, but I'm glad you're okay, Light. It's very nice to be able to speak with you."

"Your words are very kind, Nunnally," Light replied tenderly, and Lelouch felt his protective instinct flare up again.

"It seems like Brother enjoys your company as well," the girl continued, tilting her head to Lelouch's side of the table.

Lelouch wasn't sure what to say for a moment, unsure of how Nunnally had reached the conclusion that she had. "Ah," he began, realizing there was really only one option for his answer. "That's correct."

Light smirked, and Lelouch fought to overcome the urge to reach across the table and slap it off his face.

"I, too, enjoy your brother's company," Light replied softly, making Lelouch's hair stand on end. His chocolate eyes landed on Lelouch's purple ones, with the look of a cat that is no longer hungry, but looking for something to play with. Nunnally just smiled again, blissfully unaware of their eye contact.

"With you two being the top of your class, it's no wonder you'd be friends," she commented. Lelouch held back the urge to correct Nunnally; Light was not his friend. An easy smile played across the lips of his rival, and Lelouch was positive it was to cover up the same thought, especially because Light wasn't bothering to hide it.

"You're probably right, Nunnally. Like attracts like, doesn't it?" Lelouch questioned rhetorically, keeping his tone buoyant, but he glared at Light to give him the opposite meaning. They were nothing alike at all.

The look he received in return was a raised eyebrow. Lelouch's mind spun rapidly through possibilities; Light thought they were similar? Lelouch found himself reacting to that idea vehemently, his stomach twisting with a deep loathing. Light, while not a normal student, _was _a student. Lelouch, on the other hand, was far more; as an exiled Britannian prince, he had carried Nunnally through piles of bodies, been granted a Geass, and was now the most wanted terrorist that walked the earth. There was no way Light could compare himself to Lelouch.

"I wouldn't say that is necessarily always true, Lelouch. Usually people are attracted to whom they find superior," Light answered, and then adjusted his gaze. A glass door covering Light's eyes shattered open, an invisible barricade falling to reveal the force of Light's true strength. Lelouch had assumed that he could see everything clearly into Light's eyes, but now, suddenly the intensity of what he could see was entirely different. It was like Lelouch had been looking through a window, not thinking about or even noticing the transparent wall. But with the glass gone, the scene became sharper, fuller, simply… _more._ In the same fashion, Light's eyes burned with a radiance and luminosity that Lelouch hadn't seen since their chess match. Coupled with his slight arrogant smile, Lelouch felt that if he hadn't been sitting down, his knees would have given out. There wasn't anything he could do to a look like that, even as he felt his eyes widening slightly, his breath not quite as steady… even if he knew all that, he couldn't change it.

"Oh?" Nunnally asked earnestly, luckily saving Lelouch from fumbling with a reply. "Is Brother someone you look up to?"

Light chuckled and released Lelouch from his eyes. Lelouch could barely hear Light's response over the sudden thundering of his heart in his ears. "Maybe a little, but I think your brother looks up to me as well."

Nunnally clapped her hands together once, apparently delighted that someone was challenging Lelouch's well-known ego. Lelouch slowly found his way out of his near-frozen state, his mind picking up possibilities with growing momentum. Why did Light have that effect on him? Why was it so difficult to think when Light looked at him? Why was he always aware of Light's presence? How was Light able to nearly knock him off his feet with a single glance?

Lelouch clenched his teeth, loathing Light's impossible control over him with every fiber of his being. And yet, another possibility flickered at the back of his mind. He didn't want to go there, _and yet_… had anyone else asked those questions, Lelouch would have told them that—

"Brother?" Nunnally's voice snapped Lelouch out of his tangled thoughts.

"Yes?" he replied automatically. Light smirked knowingly and unnervingly.

"Shall we have dessert now?" she queried, her face tilted towards him.

"Ah, yes. I'll ring for Sayako." Lelouch took it as an opportunity to stand and leave the table, forcing his feet to remain steady. Thankfully, his gait was regular as he went to the doors and pulled a cord that would alert the maid that she was needed. Nunnally and Light's continued conversation was just quiet enough that Lelouch could only pick up the general tones and a handful of phrases. Light said something, and Nunnally giggled, her laughter tinkling across the courtyard making Lelouch tense up as Sayako appeared from a side door. He didn't like it that Light could make his sister laugh so easily; it meant she would probably want to talk to the Honorary Britannian more and that Kira would be near Nunnally again.

"Is it time for dessert, Master Lelouch?" Sayako asked, looking out to the table with her hands clasped together in front of her.

"Ah, yes, Sayako," Lelouch replied, his own eyes drifting back to the two still at the table. "Please bring it out."

"Of course," the woman answered politely, bowing a step back and retreating to the kitchen.

Trying not to walk too quickly, Lelouch headed back across the courtyard and took his seat. It took him a moment to realize exactly what the two were discussing, but his heart suddenly froze to ice with fear as he did. Light gave him an affable look, the undercurrent of electricity hidden back behind his glassy eyes. Nunnally turned to Lelouch next, her ears obviously picking up the sound of his chair scooting back in.

"You don't think Kira is really a single person, do you, Brother?" Her forehead was crinkled, and Lelouch knew it was at the thought of Kira's murders. His own stomach twisted in fear; Kira was _there_, invisible and silent, watching all three of them.

"Of course not, Nunnally," Lelouch responded, reaching out and patting her hand to reassure the girl. "People don't have that kind of power."

_Neither do they have Geass,_ his mind replied insistently. It was an idea he'd toyed with before: Kira's power being a Geass. Until he'd seen the monster.

"Then do you think Kira is some kind of god?" Light asked, sounding only vaguely interested. Except Lelouch knew that Light should be very interested in Kira, having his whole life ripped apart by it. Light's own father had been in charge of the investigation, his country invaded. Light was acting, playing at something, and Lelouch was determined to play right back in order to prevent Kira from hearing his true beliefs.

"A god? Of course not," the Britannian scoffed. "Surely Kira is a group of people working together, like terrorists."

"But no one's managed to find any clues to such a network of terrorists. The group would have to be enormous, and yet there's no trace," Light argued, his tone still somewhat carefree as if he didn't care of the outcome.

"No one's managed to find out who Zero is either," Lelouch countered.

"But people have _seen_ Zero. Kira, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have a face to conceal."

"That's because Kira is so many different faces," Lelouch replied, trying not to get annoyed. As much as he disliked Light, having him get too close to the truth of the single monster and then collapsing at Lelouch's dinner table from a heart attack would be too mortifying. For Nunnally, of course. "Like I said, Kira isn't just a single person."

Light seemed to lose interest in that particular argument suddenly, leaning back in his chair and pausing for several seconds before he opened his mouth again. He looked directly across the table, his chocolate eyes finding their way into Lelouch's amethyst ones. "And what do you think about what Kira does, Lelouch?"

Lelouch felt the world contract around him, everything around Light losing focus. This was a question Light cared about, he knew instinctively. The Japanese boy looked relaxed, sitting across the table from him, and yet the air was brittle and tense. Lelouch wondered wildly if the monster was affecting the atmosphere, if his survival in the next few moments depended on his answer.

"That's a difficult question, Yagami," Lelouch stalled, his mouth slowly drying out. Certainly he couldn't say he agreed with the monster for Nunnally's sake, but neither could he say he was against it with the creature lurking invisibly. And if he lied too obviously, Light would likely pick up on it. They each knew the other was intelligent and capable of thinking through logical reasons for liking and disliking Kira, and no matter what Lelouch answered, Light would inspect his reasoning from every angle, playing devil's advocate until one of them was forced to concede.

But what _did_ Lelouch really think of Kira? While on one hand, killing off the Britannian royal family was also one of Lelouch's goals, there was no way he wanted Kira to kill them all before he got the chance to have his revenge. However dark he found it, Lelouch knew he wanted to be the one to pull the trigger, to look the Emperor in the eye and have _that_ man know that it was his abandoned son who had been his downfall. If Kira took that from him, Lelouch wouldn't know quite what to do. On the other hand, if Kira found that he and Nunnally were royalty, would Kira kill them? Of course, neither of them had done anything wrong on record. Would Kira kill disowned children of the royal family? It didn't seem likely, but Lelouch didn't know how much research Kira did—if any—before choosing whom to kill. And many of his own Black Knights were certainly on Kira's list; he'd seen the criminal records of several of them and had nearly turned them out himself. Of course he couldn't, needing to utilize every resource available and had then discovered that his 'criminals' were some of his most devoted Knights. It had only reinforced his idea that the system was at fault.

"I think it's wrong to kill people, no matter the reasons." Nunnally's voice broke into Lelouch's mile-a-minute thoughts.

"This topic, I feel, is inappropriate for the dinner table," Lelouch determined suddenly that the conversation was over. Terrified, he prayed fervently that the monster wouldn't take Nunnally's words as a threat, and felt his adrenaline kick in, rushing through his blood stream. Lelouch's body tensed unbearably as if he would be able to tell if the monster was about to make some kind of move. Surely, Kira would want people like Nunnally to survive because of her kindness and goodness.

Too late, Lelouch realized Light's eyes were on him, noticing his every move and assigning meaning to each action. What would he be able to figure out? Lelouch had never felt so exposed before, the dark eyes with their glass doors giving him a carefully appraising look. His heart thundered in his ears, blood pounding to the quick tempo. How could this have happened? Nunnally's safety was still at the forefront of his mind. Nothing had happened thus far, several moments after her statement, but the adrenaline had already burst through his body and he couldn't stop it. He kept waiting for C.C. to suddenly shout from a window that the monster was—

"Dessert!" Sayako called, her footsteps on the stone driving through Lelouch's brain like a wedge, startling him badly. He tried to recover, turning away from the table to face the maid. If this kept up, Lelouch surely would have a heart attack, simply from anxiety about the situation. Sayako stopped at his elbow, between him and Nunnally.

"It's getting a little cold out here, Sayako," Lelouch began, thinking quickly, "How about we take dessert inside with some tea and coffee?"

"Is that alright with you, Light?" Nunnally asked sweetly.

"Of course," Light responded, but his dark and knowing eyes were still on Lelouch.

Lelouch felt sick, winded like he'd just run a lap around the gym. He didn't look at either Light or the maid as he spoke. "Sayako, would you please wheel Nunnally inside for me? I need to visit the washroom for a moment."

He stood, the world surreal and his head full of vertigo. He didn't know if he actually took a few sideways steps or not as he hurried off to the safety of his house and the chance to be alone.

**--L/L--**

It was certainly something to muse over his tea while waiting for Lelouch to return. Light held back the urge to smirk over his victory, even if he wasn't entirely sure how he had won it. Something vital had changed in Lelouch's demeanor once the subject had turned to Kira. Admittedly, he was perhaps too arrogant in his thinking that he was undetectable as Kira, but truly he believed there was no way Lelouch would be able to figure it out. Taking that into consideration, Lelouch's answers had still been strangely cagey and vague for someone usually so opinionated. That and his obvious concern for getting his darling little sister involved in even so much as a simple discussion of current events.

So what was the problem other than his obvious big brother complex?

The student in question returned to the sitting room, traces of water still clinging to his hairline. The droplets caught the soft light from the lamps and reflected prism-like into a rainbow. So he'd felt the need to wash his face. Lelouch took his seat, adding two spoonfuls of sugar into his tea, swirling the mixture around until it had dissolved completely.

"Um, I hope this doesn't seem too forward for asking, but do you have a girlfriend, Light?" Nunnally asked, tapping her spoon lightly against her tea cup to remove tiny drops of the hot liquid.

Light smiled as he watched Lelouch. "No," he addressed the girl, "It's neither too forward, nor do I have someone like that. I don't feel much like dating right now, although, of course Ashford has a wonderful selection."

Nunnally giggled, and Light watched Lelouch's facial muscles tighten. He wondered briefly if Lelouch believed his precious little sister was flirting with the former Eleven, but quickly decided that if he, Light, could tell she was simply curious, then surely Lelouch could as well.

"Then you like it here at Ashford, Light? I must admit I've been wondering if some of the students still hold a grudge against former Japanese people…." Nunnally questioned, her voice fading out as she waited for an answer.

Light saw no reason to lie; indeed it would be odd if he did. "It was a little difficult at first, being Japanese here, but it's no longer an issue."

Strange, how Lelouch's eyes grew a fraction wider when he said he was Japanese. Light filed it away for further thought, watching Lelouch try to hide his momentary lapse of acting by sipping his tea. Would Lelouch have preferred Light had said he was an Honorary Britannian? An Eleven? Neither were how Light thought of himself.

"I suppose Suzaku helped ease the way for you," Nunnally replied. "Don't you think so, Brother?"

"I'm sure that's true," Lelouch answered to his sister before he lifted his eyes towards Light with a flat stare. "I doubt you'd have as many friends if it weren't for Suzaku's influence on the student body, Light."

"Suzaku said something about how he was first treated to me once," Light replied, wondering exactly where the conversation was going. Nunnally truly seemed to be a gentle and innocent girl, but it was still strange for her to take such an interest in how the Japanese were treated. She was part of the conquering force, after all. As for Lelouch, it seemed obvious to Light that the Britannian boy looked down on Numbers. It was that fact that made Light want to prove himself all the more, the challenge that kept his boredom at bay.

"Suzaku is actually a very close friend to Brother and me as well," Nunnally said, smiling a little shyly. Light fought the urge to laugh out right; so _here_ was his reason. Nunnally liked the boy, however platonically. Suzaku being a close friend to Lelouch seemed a little strange. Both were on the Student Council, but the two were polar opposites. Suzaku seemed to be such a stickler for rules, and Lelouch enjoyed flaunting them. Suzaku, as part of the military, used his body more frequently than his mind, while Lelouch played chess and skipped PE as often as possible. Whenever Light ran across either of them, they seemed at odds. Close friends, then?

"Is he?" Light echoed politely. He found Lelouch's eyes then, and saw the Britannian give a distasteful look at the mention of the 'close friend.' Light smiled, getting the message clearly. Suzaku was no match for Lelouch's intelligence. Lelouch probably shared the same relationship he did with the overeager Honorary Britannian. Because of his lower intellect, fooling Suzaku into believing one liked him was easy. This brought Light to another difference between the two: toying with Suzaku was easy, but playing with Lelouch was enjoyable.

Light smiled into Lelouch's eyes, remembering the contact they had during dinner. Something about the frightened, uncomprehending amethyst eyes was too intriguing. He didn't think of himself as a bully, but getting under Lelouch's skin was different. Lelouch didn't have the right to be arrogant, so plucking the spoiled boy off his high horse was necessary. Their secret game of wits and challenges had transformed into something Light felt he _must_ do. It was no longer something he did simply out of boredom or need for some kind of opponent in L's absence.

He also did it for the look in Lelouch's eyes, the one that reaffirmed Light's superiority.

Light narrowed his eyes, smiling, wanting that feeling that Lelouch could give him. _Tell me I'm a god,_ Light pressed with his gaze, _That I am the only one who can do this_.And Lelouch obliged, shifting in his chair slightly, his eyes caught like a rabbit in a snare. Light felt control flowing through him—he was dominating Lelouch with his eyes alone—and felt it in the pit of his stomach, crackling with intensity. Light didn't check his smile, letting it grow, his lips spreading further across his face.

Then the unthinkable happened: Lelouch looked away. Light was instantly incensed, his muscles tightening under his school uniform, but he didn't actually move for several seconds. Had he made some kind of mistake? Light wasn't supposed to commit errors. He picked up his tea cup to prove that he could hold it gently, that he wouldn't pound a fist against the table. Lelouch glanced back to Light out of the corner of his purple eyes, but it wasn't even a suspicious look. The Britannian's gaze had been triumphant. Damn that Lelouch! Just when Light had been sure the arrogant slender boy had been assured of his own inferiority, he broke free of Light's spell. A slight smile appeared on Lelouch's lips—the boy knew he could snap out of the enchantment by his own will.

The door opened and Sayako abruptly entered the dining room. Judging from how Lelouch blinked curiously, his attention drawn away from his opponent, and the maid's nervously excited expression, Light knew something unusual was happening. Sayako half-bowed to her employer before delivering her news. "There's an announcement on the radio, Master Lelouch—it's L. I thought you'd like to hear it."

L. The letter sent shots of exhilaration down Light's spine. _L._ His blood rippled with excitement, and his muscles coiled with the rush of adrenaline threading through his nerves. Light suddenly realized how much he had missed the detective, even though their rivalry had lasted such a short time. He had always been curious how much L had been capable of; had always wondered how long it would have taken Light to best him. Now, Light was sure his old rival was still alive, still intent on their competition, still trying to catch Kira.

Ryuk, forgotten by the youth until now, began gurgling his bizarre laugh.

"Yes, Sayako. Go ahead and turn it on," Lelouch answered, his smooth tones clashing with the Death God's disturbing laughter.

But just a radio? Light frowned. Sound alone wasn't good enough for him. He needed to _see_ whatever L was planning on doing next. Of course, L wouldn't show himself—Light would have felt cheated if he had—but other chances could easily present themselves.

"Will it be on the television as well?" Light asked the maid.

"Yes," the woman responded, "Shall I turn that on instead?" She looked to Lelouch for an answer.

Lelouch looked to Nunnally. "Do you mind, Nunnally?"

"Not at all," she answered. What an odd chain of command, Light thought, before he became wrapped up in L's continued existence again. The world's best detective would surely be caught be Kira.

Sayako walked over to the television set and turned the power on. Immediately, the screen lit up with the breaking news headline streaming across a young man reporting outside the Tokyo Settlement's prison facilities. Sayako exited the room and Light strained his eyes unnecessarily, trying to absorb every detail on screen as quickly as possible.

"—roughly 20 high-ranking members of the Black Knights in this high-security prison. L has handed them over to the Britannian government, which has announced they will execute the terrorists tomorrow at sunset unless Zero turns himself in. The only question on the minds of everyone here, Suzanne, is whether Zero will actually show."

The screen split into two, showing the woman anchor back at the recording studio alongside the man. "Well, Henry, he can't just ignore these high-ranking members, can he?"

"Zero _is_ a terrorist, and there's no guarantee that he holds human life at any value. All of these Black Knights are terrorists, and probably willing to die for their cause, however twisted it may be," the reporter argued back.

Light was frozen, his mind reeling in the echoes of the news program. L had… given up? No, that couldn't be right. There was no way the detective would have had the guts to challenge Kira only to lose interest after proving Kira was in Japan. Light had been positive about L's characteristic to not give up, which meant that this broadcast was somehow still a message for Kira. Light thought carefully, mapping out what he would do in L's position. Certainly, going after the Order of the Black Knights and Zero was something L could have done without revealing L was behind it.

Then why let Kira know about the Black Knights? Did he believe Kira was linked to the Order?

"Footage of the captured terrorists has just been released by Vicereine Cornelia Li Britannia, which we will now show to you uncut," the anchorwoman announced.

The screen cut to a lower resolution video of twenty Japanese, wearing government-issue straightjackets and strapped to metal poles. Most of them were young men, but all of them looked terrified. Several were crying, and one man was particularly vocal about his innocence. The shot panned across their faces, dirty and bruised with unkempt hair, but it was Lelouch's out of the corner of Light's eye that caught his attention suddenly.

The Britannian's mouth was twisted into an angry grimace; his eyes narrow slits and slanted brows drawn together. A quick glance up and down told Light that Lelouch was as tensely strung as a violin. It was more of a reaction than Light had ever gotten out of the boy, more emotion on his face and in the lines of his body. With growing surprise, Light watched one of Lelouch's hands slowly close into a fist, his knuckles turning whiter than his normally pale skin. He seemed completely unaware of Light watching him, only the reflection of the television visible in his eyes.

Light tore his gaze away from Lelouch and back to the screen. He could puzzle over Lelouch's reaction later, despite how much it intrigued and challenged his beliefs about the Britannian student. L's message for Kira was more important right now.

"For those of you just joining us, you are seeing the top members of the Black Knights who have recently been captured by renowned detective, L. Apparently L is being sponsored by the Royal Family itself to bring the terrorist leader, Zero, to justice. The Black Knights you see before you are now in the custody of the Britannian government. They will be executed tomorrow at sunset by a firing squad unless Zero turns himself over to the authorities." The anchorwoman's voice floated over the scene. "Intelligence sources report that L has made a successful infiltration of the terrorist organization and it is only a matter of time before Area 11 is made safe again for Britannian citizens. Vicereine of Area 11 and Second Princess Cornelia Li Britannia issued a statement saying that she will continue to work with L, despite his renowned secrecy, to root out every terrorist in the Area. She, too, believes that Zero will not be committing further acts of terrorism in the near future."

Was this simply a message telling Kira that L was not finished? That he was working in Japan? Or was L trying to tell him that he was no longer interested in pursuing the Kira case? Had L truly given up and begun work on another case? There were too many questions that Light didn't have answers to.

Was L even Kira's opponent still? Light considered this. Perhaps L was now an ally of Kira, and had refused to work on the case any longer out of respect and—no, that did not fit with the voice that had goaded Kira into trying to kill him.

The jingle of a cell phone suddenly cut across the room, and Lelouch jumped, reaching into his pocket, his expression calculating. He flipped it over so he could see the caller, and Light cursed the glare off the small screen that hid the caller's identity from him.

Lelouch stood, his phone still ringing. "Excuse me. I have to take this."

Something like suspicion tickled at Light's consciousness as he watched the boy head towards an exit. Lelouch walked like a different person, calmly and coolly collected. His back to Light, he clicked something on his phone and the ringing stopped. Light could see his shoulder shift through his shirt, but he exited before the phone was brought back into view against his ear. With Lelouch gone, Light reflected on the student's demeanor; it had changed completely, once when he had seen L's news flash, and again when he received his phone call. Neither were the personalities he had seen during dinner nor held the hint of fear that Light liked to see. Did Lelouch have some kind of stake in the results? Another question that Light didn't have an answer to.

Light turned his attention back to the television screen. And what was L trying to do? Did he expect Kira to kill the terrorists? Of course Light wouldn't dance to the detective's tune, and L should know that.

The screen returned to the studio, where the anchorwoman was holding her earpiece. She looked up to the camera, her expression serious. "We've just been instructed to air a transmission from L. Please watch it."

The black gothic L appeared on a white screen. Light's heart skipped a beat. Here was L's message, the one he'd been waiting for. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, and silence echoed around the dining room.

"Citizens of the world," the scrambled voice began, "I am L."

Ryuk chuckled hoarsely again from somewhere behind the Japanese boy. "This sure is something, isn't it, Light?"

Light ignored the interruption; L's symbol the only image in his vision.

"Zero, I know what you are. If you think you can escape justice a second time, I cannot allow it. It is true that Britannia got in my way last time, but I have never lost and I don't intend to let this case be the first. Like I said, Zero, I know what you are. And for the sake of Justice, I will definitely catch you... _Kira._"

Light grinned now, knowing that the only other person in the room was blind. L was playing hard now, and they both realized it. Would Kira kill the terrorists to prove he wasn't Zero? Or let them live so he wouldn't fall into a trap like Lind L. Taylor? Or _was_ he actually Zero?

And how would Zero react to this news? The man was obviously flashy and fighting directly against Britannia. Chances were Zero would argue against being labeled as Kira, unless he could use it to his advantage. Light didn't put it past the dramatic leader to find a way, but whether he could use it and keep his Black Knights completely loyal would be another question.

Then it struck Light. L was trying for two birds with one stone. The egoist that the detective was, L wouldn't want to lose face by giving up on the Kira case. But neither would L let a case like Zero's go unheeded. So the world-famous detective would work them both. At the same time. By simply saying that Zero was Kira, both entities would lose support. Many people who supported Kira disliked Zero's terrorism. And people who followed and fought for Zero were afraid of Kira's judgment. L was dividing the followers of each side.

With a flash of insight, Light realized it didn't matter whether L believed Kira and Zero to be one and the same. L was still Kira's opponent and now Zero's.

The game was getting more interesting.

* * *

_And don't be shy leaving a review, gentle readers._


	6. Chapter 6

_Oh my gosh, I can hardly believe it myself that I've updated this quickly! Think of it as me trying to make up for the ridiculously long wait last time?_

_And thank you to the following (agh! There's so many of you wonderful, wonderful readers!): SakuraCa, SlvrSoleAlchmst1 (hope you've finished your essay *stare*), Ashbender, ???, Hyrulehalfbreed, Ireina Kurotsuki, deathnoteno1fan-codegeasslover, Candelabra, Tetsukon, Anime-StarWars-fan-zach, Firemasterofkaos, Peanuckle, Serena the Hikari of Love, hi (to you too), Esmenet, Arai Yuudai, Bligy, shiai10, EmiTsukiko, lelouche v. britannia, Kirikomi (I can rave about your art if I want :D), 2stupid (I don't think you are), Latinagal, KuroAngelique, Superior Shortness, ClarieNii, and Dei Ryuu.  
_

_Special thanks to: beta Bolinoak and helper Tobi Tortue._

_And... a cookie or something... to: The Blizzard Alchemist. You know why. But I think the first half of this may still surprise you. XD_

* * *

**The Chess Match**

**6**

**--L/L—**

"Yes," the man replied, his eyes geassed and glazed over. He handed Lelouch a USB drive. "And then I'll just forget I ever saw you."

Lelouch smiled grimly, taking the small device, before turning away and striding off down the empty hallway. He slipped by, noticed, but then quickly forgot by the military police. He had already used his Geass on them when he first arrived so that they would be be unable to recognize his presence as foreign or even memorable.

With the plan of the execution in Lelouch's mind and the security details in hand, L certainly wasn't going to get away with sullying Zero's name. Lelouch left the building, and began walking back towards Ashford. Checking his watch, Lelouch figured he might be able to make it back in time before clubs began which would prevent facing down Milly for being late. He quickened his pace a little, rolling around ideas for the Black Knights as he walked.

Deciding there was no point in waiting, he pulled out his phone, snapping the voice modifier into place and dialed Ougi's number. It rang once before the man answered it.

"Zero," the man began, sounding a bit surprised, but then began speaking a bit hesitantly without waiting for Zero to acknowledge him. "Kallen said you spoke with her—"

"And I did, Ougi," Lelouch replied, knowing what Ougi was going to ask already. "I'll tell you, like I told her, that I'm not Kira."

"Oh." His second-in-command seemed to realize the foolishness of doubting the leader. "I guess I just needed to hear it for myself."

"That's alright, Ougi, but we have more pressing matters at the moment."

Ougi seemed to sober up immediately. "Of course. What will we do about the hostages?"

"We're going to rescue them, of course," Lelouch told him confidently. "Because I am the man of miracles and this will certainly require at least one."

**--L/L--**

"Oh," Kallen said with a kind of demure surprise as she entered the student council room, "Lelouch. No one else is here yet?"

Lelouch smiled up from the table. "It appears that way, doesn't it."

He almost missed how her eyes narrowed slightly, even though her voice was still calm and simple. Kallen still hated him for being intelligent and yet not caring about the fate of the world, of course. "Probably because you didn't bother coming to class this afternoon."

Maybe it was because of Light's recent influence, or maybe the memory of how she had slapped him and that her dislike of him was a good thing for his secret, but Lelouch couldn't resist poking back at her. "I'm sorry I missed one of the days you were actually healthy enough to—"

"Mmmnnnphfffffff!" Milly tried to say as the door was suddenly flung open. Shirley was being clumsily dragged behind the president, her hands over the blonde's mouth to prevent comprehendible speech.

"Milly! Don't!" she whined, before losing her balance completely and falling to the ground in a sprawling heap, her fiery hair spreading out onto the carpet. Lelouch tried not to look at her thighs where her black skirt had ridden up a little, keeping his eyes focused on her bewildered green eyes as her struggle against gravity ended.

For a moment, everything was perfectly quiet. Then, quite unable to help himself, Lelouch began chuckling. Kallen's true laughter—quite a bit more full throated than her demure school voice—and Milly's cackling giggle soon joined his. Shirley began turning redder than she already was, muttering excuses in which Milly's name came up frequently, but she still couldn't quite keep an embarrassed smile off her own face. The atmosphere lightened with their joined laughter, and Lelouch felt the cares of the last few days fall off his shoulders. Zero, Light, Kira, L, and the Black Knights were all forgotten for the moment, and he was simply Lelouch among his friends again.

"That's right, that's right!" Milly announced suddenly, cutting over the last remnants of chuckles. She held out her hand to help the fallen Shirley to her feet. "Today's a paper day!"

A groan came from just outside the door that everyone could easily identify as Rivalz. "But President," he said as he entered the room, "That's not due for another week!"

"If we work on it now, we won't have to do it later!" Milly replied energetically. She, however, seemed to be the only one.

"We should wait for some time when Suzaku is here to help as well," Lelouch suggested. He didn't want to do the paperwork anymore than Rivalz and he couldn't really afford to spend the whole day there.

Milly rounded on him, a finger raised in explanation. "But we don't know when Suzaku will be free. That depends on the army, doesn't it?" Her face turned pensive, a full lower lip pushed out in though. "And seeing as how L is expecting Zero to turn up today, they probably won't let him go so easily...."

Lelouch smiled back sweetly to the female president. "So the next time he _does_ come to school this week can be paper day."

Shirley suddenly broke into the conversation, a little miffed. "And you'll take that day to skip classes again, Lulu!"

"Ooooh, you've got a point there, Shirley," Milly said, nodding. "What a smart girl!"

"Thank you, President!" Shirley chirped back, welcoming the cooing praise like always. She sat in one of the chairs at the table, the blush mostly gone from her cheeks.

"So it's settled, we'll do it today," Milly continued, striding to the front of the room. Rivalz groaned and slumped into the chair opposite from Lelouch. The look he gave Lelouch was clearly one not intended for Milly to see.

Lelouch sighed; he didn't have much choice. "The truth is that I'm busy later tonight, so I can't stay very late today."

Shirley stiffened in her seat, Rivalz gave him a dirty look, and Milly looked at him suspiciously. The President spoke, her voice low and teasing in a way she used often with her favorite male cousin. "You don't have a _date_ do you, Lelouch?"

Lelouch blinked. The idea had never crossed his mind. Of course he didn't have a date, but it might work to simply let them believe that he did. It was the most believable option—Milly had even thought up the idea herself—considering there was obviously no way he could tell them the truth. Then again, that would only make Milly more interested in what he was actually doing. He didn't need to stretch his imagination very far to realize that Milly would investigate his actions all the more thoroughly if she believed he was seeing someone. Better say no, then.

"Of course not," Lelouch said, but Milly didn't quite look satisfied with his answer. He had probably waited too long. He cleared his throat, realizing he needed to clarify more or else he'd be stalked off the school grounds. "Really, Milly, I don't have a date. With the way you run this school, you'd probably hear about it before I would anyway."

Milly smiled broadly, nearly cooing at him. "Ooooh, you're actually pretty clever, Lelouch."

Lelouch brushed off her comment, straightening up for business and giving one last stab at hope. "So, are we waiting for Suzaku or not?"

"He works enough with the military, I'm sure he can miss paper day once in a while," Milly replied matter-of-factly before pulling another one-eighty with her mood, and making a dramatic fist. "So let's get to work!"

"Um, excuse me, President," Kallen began, "But what exactly should I be doing?"

"That's right," Rivalz said, giving the red-haired girl an appraising look, "This is the first time you've been well enough to be at school during paper day."

Milly smiled cat-like, one that Lelouch recognized to mean the young woman had some kind of dangerous idea or plan. "You can work with me and Rivalz. Kallen, I'll show you exactly what needs to be done."

"I'll go do the filing in the back room, President!" Shirley volunteered, getting into the spirit and pretending to flex an arm to show her strong will for the project.

"What a good girl you are, Shirley," Milly purred, petting Shirley on the arm. Her blue eyes then fell on Lelouch. "Why don't you help her with that, Lelouch?"

"Right," Lelouch responded automatically. He stood, smiling at Shirley and walked with her to the storage room filled with all the paperwork required for a student council to function. The voices of the other three faded off into a muffled white noise as Lelouch struggled with a box full of paper. Shirley twirled some hair around her finger, and Lelouch was glad she wasn't commenting on his lack of physical strength. She probably wasn't even paying attention to him and the heavy box anyway.

He set it down in the center of the room, and kneeled down. Shirley sat on the other side of the box, biting her lip in a way Lelouch recognized meant she was completely absorbed in her own thoughts. And a little cute, he thought, before quickly averting his eyes to the business before him.

"Hey, Lulu..." she began, a little absentmindedly as soon as Lelouch had taken the lid off the box and pulled out the first folder of receipts. He had already begun with the expenses from the last month.

"Yes?" He didn't look up, his eyes glancing along the totals, adding them up mentally. Two hundred and five plus sixty-seven is two-hundred and seventy-two plus forty-one—

"There isn't someone like that for you, is there?" she continued, suddenly looking up at him with her green eyes full of worry.

"Like what?" Lelouch looked up with some bewilderment, the numbers driven from his head by the sincerity of her voice. Her eyes caught at him, but he didn't feel trapped by them in the same way Light could hold him. It was refreshing, and yet he didn't really know what she was talking about.

Shirley seemed to realize it had been an outburst with absolutely no context and blushed a faint pink, looking down and off to her left. Her lips pouted into a tiny frown as she continued, "I mean, like, there isn't anyone you've been thinking about a lot, is there?"

Lelouch considered for a moment. Someone he'd been thinking about? What kind of question was that? He thought about lots of people all the time. "I'm not sure if I understand what you mean, Shirley."

"Like someone that you notice every time they enter a room, and when you look into their eyes you can't think of anything else—"

"Oh!" Lelouch replied. Had Shirley been able to pick up on the game between him and Light? While on one hand it seemed very unlikely for Shirley to notice, on the other hand, she had always been strangely perceptive of people and their characters.

Right now, she blinked, sitting up straighter. "...Oh?"

"I didn't think anyone else had noticed," Lelouch began, still not sure where exactly he was beginning or whether he intended on talking. Shirley nodded fervently. So she _had_ noticed?

There was a small pause. There really wasn't much else for him to say, but Shirley was still staring at him intently as if she would be able to read his mind the more she stared. He blinked at her and then looked down to the paperwork again.

"Lulu!" she started, her face in an exasperated frown, although the intensity of her green eyes hadn't diminished at all. "Who is it?"

So she _hadn't_ noticed? Then what exactly was Shirley referring to? Had he been acting differently? Sometimes she seemed to know more about him than anyone else and she had always been able to read him with uncanny accuracy. He scrambled to come up with some kind of answer. He didn't really want to reveal that his game was with Light.

"Lulu," Shirley said again, her frustration wearing away. "Just answer me, okay?"

"I'm still a little confused by what—"

"It's the feeling that you get when that person is around, and you can't breath and can't stop thinking about them, and you always know when they're around, and when they're not there, you're _still_ thinking about them, and you just want to see them more and more and learn everything there is to know about them—" Shirley suddenly stopped her frantic run-on speech full of wild gesticulations, and peered at Lelouch carefully. Her pale cheeks faded a little pink. "Sorry...."

He was deep in thought. Was that how he thought of Light? There were certainly times when Lelouch couldn't breathe or think around Light. He seemed to have this uncanny sense of where Light was in a room as well. It was galling to think that Shirley, of all people, had noticed the effect Light had on his system. Not only that, but the last thing Shirley had said rang truer than the Ashford's school bells: Lelouch really _did_ want to know everything about his rival. With Shirley this perceptive of the relationship that he had with _someone_, he knew it wouldn't take her long to figure out whom. There was no point in lying; she'd only get more upset later when she figured it out.

"Lu...lu?" Her voice was quiet, almost trembling, and Lelouch had realized she must have been waiting for some kind of answer while his thoughts were running away with him.

"I always knew you were perceptive Shirley, but I didn't think you'd pick up on this anyway," he said, realizing that telling her was in a way refreshing. He let his shoulders relax from the tension he hadn't been aware he was holding in and smiled. Shirley smiled back tentatively.

"So...?"

"You'd figure it out anyway, I'm sure," Lelouch answered confidently, "It's Light."

Shirley's expression changed completely, her smile gone and replaced with a stunned and uncomprehending look. She blinked several times, her face frozen. Lelouch began to get a sinking feeling. She shouldn't be this shocked. Why was she so surprised? Was it because he and Light always pretended to have a friendly relationship when the truth was something else entirely?

Shirley bowed her head, her hair falling over her face like a curtain at the end of an act, making her expression invisible.

"Shirley?" he questioned, wondering what on earth he had just done.

She didn't look up. "Lulu, you're... gay?"

For the first time in his life, Lelouch's mind failed him completely. It was going to take more than a miracle to get out of this one.

**--L/L--**

"This is no rescue of Suzaku Kururugi," Kallen retorted angrily over the airwaves from inside the Guren. "There're twenty of them!"

"Zero's done more than that for us already!" Tamaki argued back. "We just need to follow orders like always."

"Then why are we still hiding here?!" Kallen shouted, clearly upset by the proceedings and the setting sun.

"Be quiet," Toudou commanded firmly from his own Knightmare Frame. "Zero has a plan."

Silence reigned among the Black Knights, the sound of many breaths held as they waited for their miracle to come.

The twenty hostages were still strapped to vertical beams hoisted up from the flatbed of a trailer, and their heads hung with the weight of their impending executions. Princess Cornelia's own custom Gloucester and her Glaston Knights with a few supplementary Sutherlands surrounded the vehicle in a tight ring. The sun touched the horizon, the day beginning to turn to night.

The cockpit of Cornelia's caped Gloucester opened, and the proud princess stepped out.

"It looks like Zero isn't going show," she announced caustically. She turned to the hostages imperiously. "Your leader is nothing more than a egotistic murderer and you have committed crimes against the Empire of Britannia."

A few plaintive cries echoed up from the bound men and women. "We're not Black Knights!"

"Silence!" Cornelia commanded, her face a mask of nobility. She thrust out a hand towards a small squadron of foot soldiers. "Executioner! Prepare the firing squad!"

"You will do no such thing, Cornelia!" A familiar voice echoed, bouncing off the stone walls of the prison facility. The voice deepened, somewhere between a threat and a low laugh. "I have come here as promised."

The crowd of mixed heritage—Britannians hoping for the victory of their Empire and Elevens secretly imagining Zero's triumph—gave a collective gasp.

Just as planned, Lelouch smirked from under his mask as he opened the cockpit to his Knightmare Frame. He stood directly across from Cornelia, and could see the twisted hatred on her face. Suppressing his urge to laugh at her surprise—how had he managed to sneak into one of her own units?—he turned his attention to the waiting crowd.

"Citizens!" he called broadly, spreading his arms. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Diethard and his camera team hard at work among the crowd. "I will repeat again the mission of the Order of the Black Knights!"

"Zero...." Cornelia growled, her fury unabated. Lelouch ignored her, and continued, knowing he still held his audience completely captive.

"We exist to protect those without power from those with power who would abuse it!" Lelouch could feel the blood rushing through his veins. There was nothing quite as exhilarating as leading a rebellion, his masked visage the most intriguing secret, his power acknowledged and words heard. "You," he shouted, thrusting an accusing finger at the Second Princess, "Cornelia, along with the detective L, have been abusing your power! You claim to be aiding those you term Elevens, forcing them into some Britannian mold of slavery, and yet these are the very people you have now abducted and sentenced to death.

"Now, I shall speak the truth: those Japanese men and women you have wrongly captured are not members of the Black Knights."

Cornelia's blue eyes widened with the shadow of doubt Zero had just delivered and Lelouch knew that she had blindly believed her subordinates. L's plan to lure out Zero with fake Black Knights would certainly come back and haunt her. Certainly, Zero had arrived, but Lelouch was prepared: he would never let himself be caught. He doubted she would want to work with the mysterious detective again. Her eyes narrowed in sudden vindictive and uncontrollable anger. "You have no proof of this, Zero!"

"And what proof do _you_ have Cornelia?" He retorted condescendingly, gesticulating with grand movements of his arms and exaggerated tilts of his masked head. "Your Empire is built on a field of lies! Do you believe you can get away with saying anything you want? You would even go as far as to accuse me of being Kira, and yet, not even L has declared knowledge of either Kira's identity or my own. ...If he has the intelligence required to say we are the same person, then _who_ is that person? Until L can prove that, I shall not accept his lies!"

A small cheer erupted from various sections of the crowd before quelling almost as quickly in the presence of Britannian soldiers. With a final dramatic fling of his arms he silenced the crowd and gave them his finishing blow. "As the Black Knights, we still have a duty to protect people in need! We are... allies of Justice!"

Lelouch raised his right hand straight into the air, paused a second for dramatic effect and then snapped his fingers.

Smoke poured out of every sewer drain, clouding up the prison courtyard. From three sides, simultaneous explosions blew a chuck out of the high grey walls, and the Order of the Black Knights rushed inside, swarming over the asphalt like locusts. The last glimpse Lelouch had before he closed the cockpit of his own Knightmare was of Cornelia angrily issuing orders among the growing fog.

Taking off his helmet before he overheated in the stuffy pilot's seat, Lelouch looked down at the blinking screen before him. Cornelia's troops were not as scattered or confused as he hoped they would be, proof that he was dealing with competent professionals. "Q-1, move to point F6 and engage Cornelia. Toudou and the Holy Blades will provide backup against the Glaston Knights. Keep them on the west side of the courtyard."

"Yes, Zero!" Kallen answered with determination and decisiveness apparent. Lelouch piloted his own Knightmare forward, relying on his memory to bring him to the flatbed trailer with the imitation Black Knights through the smokescreen.

"P1 through 3, go to point E5 and guard the hostages. We'll be moving eastwards with them." Three Knightmare Frames emerged from the grayness with screeching wheels, two flanking his machine, a third keeping the hostages between himself and Zero.

"Ougi, bring in the van and begin loading the hostages at point D3." Lelouch took a hold of the trailer and began dragging it behind him. His escorts kept in a tight formation around him and his cargo. One of Cornelia's forces suddenly appeared out of the mist in front of him and charged, only to be caught by fire from Lelouch's left. The two Knightmare Frames grappled with each other for a moment, before Lelouch and his two remaining escorts left them behind in the smoke.

"You won't get me yet!" Kallen's taunt reverberated over the Black Knight's frequency. Lelouch held back a sigh. No matter how many times he told her to not make unnecessary chatter, his ace always seemed to forget. He almost smiled.

The wall appeared before him and Lelouch headed east along it until he reached a newly torn exit in the wall. He stopped just as a van pulled up from the outside. Ougi and four others leapt out and mounted the trailer, cutting away the prisoners and ushering them to the getaway vehicle.

"How do you think you're going to defeat me with a worthless heap like that?!" Kallen's roar was followed by some answering calls of encouragement by various other pilots, Tamaki's "Go get 'em!" the most recognizable. At least she provided high morale with her continued battle cries, Lelouch thought, as the girl let out another cocky bellow. "You're not worth my time!"

The sound of rending metal was deafening for a moment and Lelouch imagined with some satisfaction that the Guren had managed to disable some part of Cornelia's Gloucester. All was going according to his plan, he thought, but suddenly couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Of course Kallen was engaged in a life and death battle on the other side of the courtyard, but still...

...if he were fighting L, shouldn't the legendary detective's scheme be a little harder to break through? Shouldn't L have predicted some of Zero's moves and been ready for them with some kind of response? Surely L wouldn't have given up all the control to the Second Princess if he truly wanted to capture Zero in his mistaken belief that he was also Kira. A puzzle piece was still missing, he felt, unless it was Cornelia that had forced her way into being in control of the situation once Zero arrived. Lelouch considered; Cornelia was certainly a brilliant real-time strategist, but she had so far been unable to predict his moves outside fair fights. Could he attribute the ease of this victory to Cornelia's mistakes?

"Zero!" Ougi called up to him. "We've got the hostages secured!"

Lelouch snapped out of his thoughts; why should he waste time thinking about how terrible his opponent really was? "Good. Take them via route 2 to the meet-up point."

"Aaaaaah!" Kallen's shreik echoed as the van disappeared down the road. One of the Black Knights' Burai winked out into the red light of lost without successful ejection on the chessboard in front of him. There hadn't been a Britannian unit near it.

"Q-1! What's your status?" Lelouch called immediately, without letting the panic that had suddenly flooded into him leak into his voice. Her unit still showed as a green pulsing dot on his coordinate map but she still needed to hold up for several more minutes.

"I'm okay, just—_damn you, you fucking bastard!_" Kallen shouted and her report turned back into a battle cry, her concentration focused on whatever foe was in front of her that Lelouch couldn't see.

"Zero," Toudou's reserved response came next, but there was a definite fire under his words, "That white-headed unit has arrived."

Lelouch felt his mouth twist into a snarl and he slammed a fist into the console of his machine. That Frame was scheduled to be in maintenance! Lelouch had used Geass to obtain that information and base his plan on it. Was this L's trump card then? Or a simple miscalculation?

"Toudou, the Holy Blades are now responsible for Cornelia. Q-1, focus on the white-head. Don't let him out of your sight." Lelouch leaned back and clenched his fists. He'd have to judge the white-head's position based on the flashing beacon of Kallen's Guren. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He didn't make mistakes. L must have leaked false information, know that somehow Zero would get his hands on it and kept the truth secret. This was the sort of thing Lelouch had been expecting, although certainly the cursed white and gold Knightmare had not been involved. Somehow, that machine always managed to thwart him. He could not let it do so now.

"Get out of my way!" Kallen shouted angrily. "Agh!"

He needed to pull out as soon as possible, and leave something for the Britannians to waste time cleaning up. He gritted his teeth, not wanting to resort to his final plan.

He opened up a new frequency. "Lakshata!"

"Oh? You need something from me?" Her voice was bemused like always, despite the desperate straights the Black Knights were in.

"Detonate," he replied succinctly, before switching frequencies back to the main channel with his terrorist forces. "All units stay clear of the south wall and prepare to retreat via the closest exits from the north, east and west to your position. Follow the designated routes to the rendezvous point."

"We're leaving already?!" Tamaki growled, obviously upset by Zero's tactics of not fighting to the death.

"We came to rescue hostages. Once that is accomplished, there is no further need for warfare," Lelouch replied sharply. Although if Tamaki didn't change his attitude, Lelouch amended darkly, he wouldn't mind leaving the hot-blooded soldier behind.

A low boom echoed through the courtyard, followed quickly by a wave of dense air. Lelouch began to laugh, knowing that the south wall, the one adjacent to the prison's exercise yard, had just collapsed. And what criminal wouldn't leap at the opportunity to escape that had just presented itself? There certainly was no way L could still believe Zero was Kira if he let a few hundred convicted felons run free into the Tokyo Settlement.

"Begin retreat!" he ordered, fleeing through the east wall with several other units.

"Shit!" Tamaki cussed loudly before the green blinking point of his Burai vanished into the yellow of lost, but ejected.

"P-2, pass point G4 and pick up the escape capsule there on your way out," Lelouch followed quickly.

"Yes, sir!"

Lelouch sighed, heavily. Judging from his screen, it looked as if they were going to make it out. A few of the Britannian Gloucesters and Sutherlands looked as if they had noticed the downed wall, the green of their units blinking along the southern perimeter. Cornelia's frame was moving at half its normal speed, and Kallen had broken free through the west exit. Judging from her lack of taunts and battle cries, he could only assume she had left the white-headed Knightmare Frame behind.

"All units are to take their secondary routes through the subways. We will rejoin at point Delta. Good work, Knights."

Lelouch flipped off the communications into blessed silence and entered into the darkness of the subway system. The operation had been a narrow success, and now he only had to deal with the release of the hostages. Of course, a little visit from Zero would be required to ensure word would reach the ghettoes, across Japan, and eventually throughout the entire world.

Zero was a leader of free people, and upheld the ideals he spoke of in direct contrast to the lies of the Britannian Empire.

**--L/L--**

Several hours later, the warehouse that was Point Delta was crowded with cocky Black Knights, drunk on their victory and sake. Most of the former hostages were still present, having more reason than ever to support the Black Knights after the ordeal Britannia had put them through. Tamaki seemed to be enjoying himself, telling anyone who would listen how he had traded blows with Cornelia's esteemed personal Knight, Guilford, although of course Lelouch noticed he didn't explain that he had been forced to abandon his unit because of it.

As Zero, he had spoken to the mass of people about the ever increasing importance of ridding Japan of Britannia's malignant influence as soon as everyone had gathered. He had then returned to their mobile headquarters to discuss further strategies with his inner circle and review the film Diethard had broadcasted. However, it was starting to get quite late, nearing eleven o'clock and he needed to get home. While Nunnally had probably already been put to bed, she was likely still awake, waiting for the sound of Lelouch's footsteps on their shared hallway.

He was also immensely tired, the events of the day finally catching up to him. Had it really been just that afternoon when he'd had to convince Shirley, Milly, Kallen, and Rivalz that he wasn't gay? Wishing he could take of his mask and rub his face, Lelouch signaled to Ougi from across the room that he was leaving. He received an answering nod and sincere smile of thanks, before turning away and exiting the headquarters.

He had only just made it to the pavement when someone accosted him.

"Please let me join the Black Knights!"

Resisting the urge to ignore him, Lelouch turned and recognized the speaker as one of the hostages, mostly by lack of a uniform. The Black Knights were getting so large there was no way he'd ever recognize everyone anymore. He looked the skinny man up and down, not really seeing any desirable surface traits. From the dark bags under his eyes, it looked like he'd been sleep-deprived and possibly tortured. He looked nothing like soldier material.

"What's your name?" Lelouch asked at last, deciding that the man would probably look better after a good night's sleep and a shower.

"Rue Ryuuzaki."

**----L/L----**

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*gasp* Oh yes I did. Anyway, like always, faithful readers (and newbies to the story as well), please leave a comment about how you think this is going, etc. I actually take the time to go through and reply to what I call my 'fan mail' *snorts at my own arrogance*, but this means that you guys get questions answered! Or, what happens in most cases, someone writes something that I haven't even thought about and I scramble around trying to figure out where such and such a character went (fyi, Misa's in the Chinese Federation after Japan was invaded). So, your comments and questions and criticisms all go into making this story better (that's the point of , right?), so... hopefully that's incentive to review. _

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Thanks for reading! And until next chapter.  
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	7. Chapter 7

_Yay! I know it's been a long time and I kind of dropped off the world of for a month or two during the summer... that's when my life gets busiest, dear readers. Anyway, I hope you're all still as interested in reading the next installment as I am to be posting it. And since apparently no one bothers to read profiles (I often don't either), I doubt anyone saw my message that I DO plan on continuing this story, even if I don't get around to updating it as often as I'd like. So, have no fear. You will get more Chess Match, dear readers.  
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_Haha, I say this every chapter, don't I... NO YAOI IN HERE. In fact, you can find some very het people wandering around Light.  
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_Since I try to keep Light and Lelouch's screen time even, and the last chapter featured solely Lelouch, yep, you guessed it, this gives us Light. I expect the next chapter will feature both of them again, because writing a full chapter from Light's perspective was... not as easy for me to do as it was for Lelouch. (Me? Biased?)  
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_And... special thanks to those who reviewed: jcogginsa, Hyrulehalfbreed, Anime-StarWars-fan-zach, 2stupid, Bligy, SlvrSoleAlchmst1 (because I know who you are, even if you don't sign in for your review, lol), Firemasterofkaos, Candelabra, Testukon, Lady Nefrodiel, ???, thepinkmartini (for a review for EVERY chapter), Himizu, the spoiler, Peanuckle, mina, Southpaw (for letting me convince you to continue read and leave reviews even though a Light/Lelouch pairing is not your cup of tea), Miss-Tania, icarus923, chaos-winged-valkyrie (with a review for EVERY chapter), Reapaer, Ireina Kurotsuki, Darkly Dreaming Darling, potterinu, Tsuki the Ryuujin no Miko, Lord Edric, simple, charm, ryder77, The Blizzard Alchemist, Maru-chu, MeEksiNs, Star Jinin, demon89, tebrighteyes, zeppelin13, Helen N., IWOBYD, Ranger24, Syeira, GreenOnBlack, Dark-Hooded Eriol the Magician, KuroAngelique, Emo Naom, What-if-it-was, Obsessive Child, -obscenities, Twilight's Blade, ShdowBlade, Twilight Solstice, InkGirl77, Ryuzaki 007, Cross - The Damned Alchemist, and avatoa.  
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**The Chess Match**

**7**

**----L/L----**

Light sighed, leaning back in his chair and running both hands through his silky hair. The Death Note lay open in front of him, several new names joining the list. One in particular made him feel especially good about the day's work. Luciano Bradley. The so-called "Vampire of Britannia." Light smirked, twirling his pen around on his hand. Let L call him out on _that_ one.

Light closed the slim black notebook and slipped it into the secret compartment in his desk.

"Can you go get apples now, Light?" the Death God whined from his anxious position over Light's bed. Light turned to face him, not bothering to hide his expression; Ryuk was not much of a Death God, once one had spent time with him.

"Please, Light? You said—"

"Alright, alright," Light conceded, reaching for his coat. While killing the Knight of Ten was important, he still had a pathetic excuse of a Death God to feed. "Let's go, then."

Light exited, locking the door behind him and headed out past the Academy gates. He always wore his uniform when wandering around the Settlement, knowing that if he didn't, he was likely to be stepped on or insulted by Britannians. It was... difficult at times not to twist their arms and throw them to the ground in retaliation, so he resorted to simply blending in as best he could. It was better than tempting him repeatedly to make the eye trade with Ryuk simply so he could get the domineering Caucasians out of Tokyo.

He glanced in the windows of the shops as he passed, trying not to make eye contact with anyone else on the street. An array of televisions caught his eye suddenly and he stopped. Zero and the Black Knights, it seemed.

Ever since L's announcement, Light had been curious to see how the flashy rebel would deal with it, and the masked man had met his expectations. Light had decided that the best response to L would be to continue on as he was. L hadn't been talking to him, so Light wouldn't talk back. If he tried killing more Britannian nobility than he already was, it would be almost as if he were asking L to chase Zero instead.

And where was the fun in that? Most of the world was already trying to track the man down. His chocolate eyes read over the streaming text at the bottom. A mudslide in Narita? Zero was clever enough to use the landscape to his advantage apparently.

"Li-ight, I'm going to start going into withdrawal." Ryuk twisted his head nearly upside down as if to prove his point.

Blinking and sighing, Light turned back to the road and wandered up the street to a convenience store. He bought an apple, ignoring the Death God's happy dance of glee, and held the fruit firmly until he had excited the store.

"Go ahead," Light said softly, tossing the apple up over his shoulder. No sense bothering to check if Ryuk had caught the red fruit, considering how fixated the beast was on it. A few crunches followed.

"Juicy?" Light asked as if to no one in particular, although his mind was already moving elsewhere. He was beginning to reach a dead end with his research into Britannia and names. There was really only so much he could learn without getting closer to the people themselves.

Was that why...? Light clenched a fist, suddenly angry. L would know the limits of the online world. He would know that Kira's information was not growing. But surely L didn't think that Kira would simply stop his judgments when he couldn't find any criminals on the internet. They were both far too tenacious for that. No, L hadn't abandoned their game. He was simply waiting for Kira to make the next step.

Light stopped walking, glancing around at the few people moving along the sidewalk around him. What were his options? The students at school would be the easiest, and were likely the only ones stupid enough to open up about names or names of people they knew. His classmates they may be, but having lived such a pampered life, they amounted to little more than children.

The next step was deciding who and how to get close to them. His mind immediately jumped to Lelouch, but he pushed the thought away. Lelouch was a little different, and Light didn't want to confuse work with pleasure. Killing Britannians and criminals was his job, nearly a sacred duty. Teasing Lelouch was simply a way of killing time.

So, who was next? Milly Ashford seemed like a likely candidate. She had been friendly enough to him and was well-liked throughout the school. Her family was rather well-known and moderately wealthy. Not only that, but as the president of the school, she wielded more power than any other student... even over Lelouch. Milly certainly had connections, and that was exactly what Light was looking for.

He began walking again, his feet finding their way back to the Academy. Milly seemed like a good option, but then again, Light had learned the best way to control women was to date them. He assumed that it probably worked on men as well, but Light had never been curious enough to try and he doubted most men would appreciate the effort. Which is why he had always preferred using women to his advantage. It was easier. But rumors were flying that the Ashford heiress was engaged to a noble of some sort. If Milly really was involved with someone else, especially a Britannian of higher standing than Light could ever hope to achieve, he'd only be seen as pathetic and hopeless in contrast. Some poor Eleven boy pining after someone he could never have if she rejected him in favor of someone her family approved of.

He closed his eyes for a moment, realizing that while having Milly's status on his side would do wonders, he needed to aim a bit lower and work his way up the social ladder. Who would have thought that picking out a girlfriend would be this thought-consuming? He'd never had to put much thought into it before.

He toggled through a mental checklist of single female students in his class. Nanim Aihuhnny. Bridgette McPherson. Cordelia Coronica. Felicia Timberline. Kallen Stadtfeld. Danielle—

Light backtracked, realizing he had nearly skipped over the perfect opportunity.

Kallen Stadtfeld. Beautiful, smart, wealthy, cultured, and best of all... hardly present due to poor health. If Light could convince Kallen to date him, he'd not only learn names from her, but be better respected by his fellow students without having to through as many motions. He'd be accepted as one of them through Kallen's status. Not only that, but Kallen was on the Student Council... which could eventually lead him to Milly if she weren't engaged and her greater power over the school.

And Lelouch.

Light smirked, entering the gates to Ashford's green lawns. This was going to be fun.

----L/L----

"Like... a date?"

Light nodded, reading the surprise, but luckily no revulsion in Kallen's blue eyes. She looked a little more wary than he would have liked, but he hoped she wasn't too—

"Uhmmm..." she continued softly, appearing to be deliberating still. She looked down, her straight reddish hair swinging a little. A deep breath followed and she looked up at him from her desk with a firm resolve he hadn't known the sickly girl possessed. Interesting, but why? He waited for her ultimatum. "Yes, it sounds like it could be fun."

The two girls on either side of Kallen tried not to gasp too loudly. He may be Light Yagami, good at athletics and academics, but he was still only an honorary Britannian. He hadn't thought Kallen Stadtfeld would turn him down, but the idea that she might had certainly crossed his mind. It had really depended on whether she was a racist, and Light was a little relieved to discover that she was not.

He smiled at her with his eyes. "Good, then I'll see you after school. Unless you're busy with Student Council business?"

Kallen shook her head, her straight hair swinging. "There's nothing planned for today."

Light continued to smile. "Perfect. I'll see you later, Kallen."

He left her desk, and didn't look back. Hearing the girlish whispers and coos of her friends in his wake was enough.

Light returned to his own seat and tried not to look as his Death God floated in and out of the wall in a pathetic effort to startle him. Light sighed. The bell rang moments later and the door opened. Lelouch entered the classroom for the first time all day, slipping in just before the teacher did. Their eyes met from across the room for a brief instant, but the other boy seemed too preoccupied with something else to make anything more of it. Light disregarded the lack of enthusiasm, doubting Lelouch had meant it as a snub. The Britannian boy was worrying about something else, unless the way he chewed his lip when he thought no one was looking was simply habit. The class began to quiet down when Suzaku entered the room. It was unusual for someone usually so preoccupied with following rules and the tardiness earned the green-eyed student a glare from the teacher. _Racist_, Light thought savagely.

Class started and Light thumbed through his book, pretending to pay attention to the lecture. What would Lelouch be worried about? His mind wandered back to the woman he had met in Lelouch's room. It'd been several weeks since he'd met her and he still hadn't figured out who she was. With a grim satisfaction, he hoped Lelouch was currently worried that she would be discovered, and decided that his next move would be to make sure that she was. He'd been focusing so much on the Death Note lately and his work as Kira, that he was surely in for some playtime.

And tormenting the Britannian brat was just the kind of thing that sounded relaxing. Maybe after his date with Kallen, he'd just _happen_ to run into Shirley. She would be bound to spread word of Lelouch's indecencies to the school.

Then again, with the recent death of Shirley's father, he wasn't sure if he felt right about telling the girl her crush was sleeping around. She may be Britannian, but she wasn't a bad person. He sighed inwardly. Rivalz always seemed a little too enthusiastic for Light's tastes, with a voice that got on his nerves, but if he wanted something spread around the school about Lelouch, there was really no one better for the job.

The teacher's monotonous drone and Light's thoughts were suddenly cut through by a loud masculine voice on the intercom. The superintendent's tone was sharp and commanding. "There has been a crime on campus, which the police are now investigating. Students are to remain in their classrooms until further notice."

The intercom clipped out and the class immediately grew louder to fill its void.

"What do you think happened?" Someone to his right asked. Light gave him a puzzled look and shook his head.

"I've no idea." It was the truth, anyway.

"Look! Oh my god, it's a body!" Nanim suddenly screamed, pointing wildly out the window. As one, the class jumped up and ran to the broad windows. Everyone was suddenly shouting, and at least two girls fainted, Nanim being one of them.

Light shoved his way through to get a better view. Someone had died? His eyes caught sight of a body bag being zipped up, blood pooling around where the victim's head had lain. Who was it? Had someone simply fallen on the concrete outside the chapel? Light's head spun. No, the superintendent had called it a crime and the police were involved, sweeping the area around the chapel building. Murder? At Ashford?

Light found his head turning to peer at his classmates. It couldn't be....

His eyes found Lelouch first, but those violet eyes were watching the scene below with only a passing interest. So not even death concerned his aloof exterior? Only Zero seemed to, considering his reactions the night L had challenged the masked man.

A shudder passed through the student next to Lelouch, his darker skin and large—too large—green eyes filled with terror.

Suzaku?

Light watched him carefully, remembering quite vividly that Suzaku had been accused of Prince Clovis's murder. He was also a member of the military, trained for combat, so in theory, he should be used to seeing death. But it appeared as if this casualty bothered him much more than it did even some of the civilian students. Suzaku had also entered the classroom later than normal. It didn't take a genius of Light's caliber to deduce that Suzaku had been involved in the murder.

Light's eyes narrowed. Suzaku Kururugi's fate now depended on who had just been killed and whether Kira agreed with him.

----L/L----

"Soooo," Kallen began, digging a plastic spoon into the black cherry ice cream, "At least Mr. Ashford finally let us leave, right?"

Light nodded, picking up his part. "I thought we'd _never_ get out of there. And I was rather looking forward to our date." He smiled across the small booth to her, the red seat not quite matching, but not clashing either with her hair.

Kallen looked away, her cheeks turning a faint pink. "Er, well, um, so was I."

Light didn't bother hiding his grin. Kallen, for her part, began to eat her ice cream a little more vigorously in her embarrassment.

"So, what do you think of this place? I know it's a bit on the edges of the Settlement, but I think it has the best ice cream in Tokyo," Light said, taking a bite of his own green tea flavored treat.

"It's... good," she answered, a little too warily, Light thought. There was a slight pause before she glanced back up at him, the spoon in her mouth. Strangely, her eyes held the same determination that he'd seen when she'd agreed to go out with him. "Not everyone's afraid of the ghetto, you know."

Light blinked. Well, this was surprising. He spoke carefully, after a moment's pause. "I never meant to imply you were, but certainly some people should be more cautious than others."

Kallen raised an eyebrow in warning, and Light got the feeling he was talking to a different person than the girl he saw occasionally in school. Who would have thought that Kallen Stadtfeld had a feisty streak?

"Please explain what you did mean then, Light."

"Simply that the crime rate in the ghetto is much higher and I doubt pretty Britannian girls would fair as well as a Japanese man," Light replied, emphasizing her prettiness and his maleness. Kallen, however, didn't look convinced.

"You said Japanese." Her tone was almost accusatory.

Light felt a swell of national pride and anger, but held his tongue. He had never hit a girl and he certainly wouldn't start now, especially not when it would damage his reputation and goals for life at Ashford. He aimed for calm in his voice as he spoke. "One can't be ethnically _Eleven_. Maybe now it's a nationality, but Japanese is still an ethnicity, Kallen."

Kallen blinked twice in quick succession, a bit of surprise on her face. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean that as an insult, Light...." She looked down, and with almost measured grace, slowly took another spoonful of ice cream.

She looked up again and Light could swear she was again the demure and sickly girl. Realization slowly dawned in Light. She was an actress of sorts. And he'd be willing to bet his favorite pen it was the shy girl who was false. The real Kallen... was the unyielding redhead he'd just glimpsed.

"None taken," he replied easily. She offered a tentative smile, which he returned full fold. They returned to their ice cream and a few moments of silence.

"Light?" she asked, still looking down. Light watched her as she twirled the spoon around in the melting pink dairy product. She was biting her lip in thought, her eyebrows scrunched together.

"What is it?" He asked gently, not quite coaxing.

"I just... didn't expect you to call yourself Japanese, that's all," she said lamely, and Light had the impression she had nearly said something else.

He debated for a moment whether calling her on it would force her out or simply make her resent him. He tried not to sigh. He couldn't risk her resentment.

"Oh," he said to fill in the space with some kind of response. "That's understandable."

Kallen scrutinized him and Light wondered the reason. Her blue eyes held open interest and something that Light felt compelled to label as honest. Her ice cream was forgotten, her spoon held carelessly in her hand.

"Light..." she began, her eyes still holding her wide open. Light didn't respond, only maintaining eye contact. Did she expect him to kiss her? It didn't seem likely considering their conversation, and yet... all other clues about her posture and expression were indicative.... She leaned closer, her voice almost a pained and secretive whisper. "I... I'm Japanese, too."

Her eyes searched his for confirmation, and Light searched her face for his. There, perhaps in the angle of her face, the softness around her eyes... if he changed her coloring, it was much more believable. The girl was full of surprises and he could look at her previous comments in a different light. Had she been testing _him_ as well?

He sighed and leaned back. "You really are, aren't you."

Kallen smiled quickly and went back to her ice cream. The tense atmosphere had disappeared and as Kallen waved her spoon at him about to make some point, Light realized that the demure schoolgirl had vanished as well.

"I bet you went here before the war, huh," she said, glancing around at the ice cream parlor's decor. She seemed much more relaxed and at ease with him.

Light nodded, allowing his own posture to reflect her comfort. "Yeah. My sister just loved this place, but it's not exactly safe for her to come here on her own anymore and I don't have much time outside of school to take her."

Kallen nodded, understanding his dilemma. "At least it's still here, right? I used to live out near Ikebukuro, but it's all ashes now."

Light blinked. "So you lived here before the war? You _are_ a little bit Britannian, though, aren't you?"

Kallen looked out the window at the pedestrians. Her voice was distant. "My father is, but truth be told, I'd rather be living in the ghetto than at his house."

It seemed a little much for Kallen to be telling him this. Of course, he was Japanese and so was she, but she sounded like a downright terrorist. She must be a big fan of Zero, he thought wryly.

"Surely, it's not that bad, Kallen," he answered, wondering what exactly her father must have done to incur such bitterness. "At least you _have_ a house, right?"

The look she turned on him was pure fire. Her blue eyes blazed. "And there's a lot of our people out there who _don't_."

Little terrorist, indeed.

"I know, Kallen. Trust me, I know people who..." he trailed off, wondering where their conversation was leading. It didn't exactly matter because she was already caught. If Light himself hadn't been aware that Kallen Stadtfeld was part Japanese, he doubted any of their classmates did. His plan was working better than even he had envisioned. Kallen already _wanted_ him—as a friend or lover, he didn't know or care—because they had a shared heritage. She would be willing to do nearly anything for him with the right pressures and manipulation because of it and she would still serve her purpose as a stepping stone within Ashford's elite students.

"We all know people like that, Light." Her voice was hard with shared hatred.

With an opening like that, Light knew she would be in the palm of his hand in no time.

"Sometimes I feel terrible for being accepted in Britannian society," he whispered, making sure they weren't overheard. The parlor was nearly vacant, but the intimacy of a moment like this always won girls over. "If there was something I could do to help the others who weren't as fortunate as us, I'd do it."

Light looked at his hands, feigning helplessness at his situation. He certainly was working to aid the less fortunate every day, not that Kallen would ever have to know he was Kira. He idly wondered what she would think if she did know. Who would a girl like her support more? Kira? Or Zero?

Light glanced back up to her and met her appraising blue eyes, her forehead wrinkled as she seemed to weigh something in her mind. Her eyes were actually somewhat pretty, he decided.

"There... may be something you can do, Light," she offered hesitantly.

Light had been expecting a simple, 'me too,' from the fake-Britannian girl, and he didn't bother hiding his surprise. What did she have in mind? Sneaking rice to the needy in the ghetto?

"What?" he asked simply, there being nothing else to say.

"I... um, well, I can't actually say, but...." She looked torn and bit her lip anxiously. "I... let's go on another date, okay? In a few days. I'll... tell you then."

Light nodded uncertainly. "We'll just talk about this later... this probably isn't the best place for it anyway." He looked around comically as if he expected someone was eavesdropping.

Kallen rolled her eyes at his antics, and punched him playfully in the shoulder. "Knock it off." She squished her ice cream around in its bowl and sighed. "But you're probably right."

Light gave her an imperious look. "Of course I am, Kallen-_chan._"

She blushed at his use of the Japanese honorific and Light smiled; Kallen Stadtfeld was hooked, even though she hissed quietly at him. "You shouldn't use Japanese here, Light."

Light laughed, not bothering to be quiet about it, and ate some more ice cream. "You're probably right," he answered.

Kallen put her spoon down and matched his former arrogant look and tone to the best of her abilities. "Of course I am, Light-_kun_."

----L/L----

The day was coming to a close, and Light felt like he had been particularly successful. He smiled to himself; of course, there was no such thing as being _too_ successful and the day certainly wasn't over yet.

He still had one more thing to attend to.

"You're smiling, Light... what are you planning?" Ryuk asked curiously.

Raising a hand, he knocked on the door to the Student Council Room. If Lelouch, Milly, or Shirley were present, he'd ask about Kallen and pretend he was buying her a gift. That would certainly win him points with Milly Ashford. But knowing the President's protective streak of Lelouch, he figured asking about the picture with her at hand would put him in her bad graces. He wondered briefly at himself for hoping Rivalz would be there alone, but shut the thought from his mind as the door opened.

"Ah!" a small girl said in fear before running away. He had only managed to catch a glimpse of braids and glasses. Light stared in bewilderment as the door slowly swung open. She was...?

"Niiiiina," came Rivalz's unmistakable voice as the door opened and the blue-haired boy's body came into view. "Oh, it's just Light. No need for running."

"Unless you're an evildoer," Ryuk supplied, looking to see if Light would crack a smile. He didn't, his gaze sweeping the room for any other occupants. There weren't any.

The affable young man bounded up to where Light stood, and put an arm around his shoulders. He looked sideways at the taller teenager and narrowed his eyes confidentially. "I heard you went on a date with Kallen. ...Man-to-man, how was it?"

Light fought the urge to grit his teeth and throw Rivalz through a wall for the bodily contact he was inflicting. "We had ice cream."

"Ooooohh? And?" Rivalz's enthusiasm was surprisingly grating.

"And we talked."

"And? Did you... ummmm, how do I say... you know, _get some_?"

"Rivalz!" Nina's high-pitched squeak was filled with shock and horror.

"Calm down, calm down," he replied, waving a hand at the girl who Light now saw to be standing in a corner of the room. To Light's extreme pleasure, Rivalz finally let him go and wandered over to sit up on a table, making himself comfortable as he faced the Honorary Britannian. "So, what can I do you for, Light?"

_More than you'll ever have,_ Light thought viciously, wondering if Rivalz himself understood how that sentence could be taken, especially by someone who's first language was not English. Light smiled, not a hint of his inner thoughts poking through his exterior. He walked over to the younger boy.

"I was wondering if you knew who this was," he asked, pulling out his cell phone. Light sat on the table next to Rivalz as he toggled to the picture of C.C. and held it up.

Rivalz made an appreciative sound. "Wow, that is one hot babe, Light. Where'd you meet her?"

Light smiled. "In Lelouch's room."

Rivalz blinked in surprise and then nearly exploded into a green firework of envy. "Whaaaaaat? Did you say _Lelouch?_"

Light nodded, grinning. "I was just as surprised as you were. I wanted to ask Lelouch something, but this girl was there instead. I think," Light said dramatically, "she _lives_ with him."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! With _our_ Lelouch?! I had no idea he was already so experienced! How did he get so far ahead?! This isn't fair!!" Rivalz was lost in his own private world of jealousy and imagination of Lelouch's X-rated endeavors with the green-haired beauty.

Light decided to let him be, remembering there was still someone else in the room. Nina, as apparently, she was called. He looked behind him to the small, awkward-looking girl. It would be best to create a favorable impression with her, too, he thought. He hadn't seen her before, but he figured she was in the Student Council.

He smiled at her warmly. "Hi, my name's Light Yagami. Are you a friend of Kallen's?"

The girl nodded jerkily, her hands still clenched firmly to the bottom of the jacket of her uniform. She was staring at him with wide eyes, made to look even larger by her glasses.

What was she so afraid of? Light wondered. He wasn't going to bite. He tried to continue smiling, feeling the tediousness of his task settling in. She couldn't see the Death God, could she?

"That's Nina. She's afraid 'cuz you're an Eleven," Rivalz said offhandedly, still holding Light's cell phone in front of his nose.

Light tried not to grimace. This school was full of racists. "I'd like to get her a present. Any suggestions?"

Nina shook her head. Rivalz groaned in envy. Ryuk laughed uproariously.

Light remembered suddenly why playing with Lelouch was a lot more fun when he did it face to face. He swiped his phone back from Rivalz and made his way to the still ajar door. "Get your own photo if you want to ogle it, Rivalz. I'll see you tomorrow."

He closed the door behind him, glad to be rid of them both.

"Lelouch sure isn't going to be happy when he finds out about that," the hulking god said, holding his stomach while he cackled in anticipation and floated along next to Light.

"He'd better not be."

----L/L----

* * *

_Some thoughts to ponder now that you've reached the end: Just WHO was murdered at Ashford??? Say Nanim Aihuhnny aloud 5 times fast. And if you know who Cordelia Coronica is, you get mad props and should be friends with Rayne Rebeau too._

_Oh, and since Light's on a killing spree, which character would you like to see dead via heart attack next? I'm not saying I'm going to use any of your suggestions, but... I'm kind of curious._

_As always, thanks for reading! See you next chapter!  
_


	8. Chapter 8

_Oh snap! I posted! Please enjoy a rather long chapter._

_Thanks to: Emo Naom, chaos-winged-valkyrie, jcogginsa, yaaaaaaayme, Peanuckle, Akalon, Anime-StarWars-fan-zach, deathnoteno1fan-codegeasslover, Twilight's Blade, icarus923, Unkown, SakuraCa, Worker72, SlvrSoleAlchmst1, firedraygon, Poison's Ivy, Kirikomi, Specterman262, FluffyRighter96, IvanAlive, Tetsukon, person52, Namiko Shigemoto, supernovalikewhoa, DarthNacho, Cheza the Flower Maiden, karasu337, and Anime Angel Alchemist for reviewing. Those are always appreciated and I try to answer questions and engage in the story on other levels. Reviewing if FUN, dear readers. _

_Oh, and if you're a shounen ai/yaoi fan, I'm sure you will read this how you want to. If not, don't worry, there's some Light/Kallen for you. Though, I think they'd be cuter if Light wasn't such a bastard on the inside. -_-_

_Answers to last chapters riddles: the murdered person becomes clear if you read this chapter and Nanim Aihuhnny= Nani Mai Honey. You'll have to read to see who dies via Death Note... but I WILL say that Light considers killing people a little too often for my comfort. _  
_

_One last thing in this long author's note: I don't normally do this, but I'm going to self-plug for one of my other stories. If you like Death Note, and especially Matt, read Letters. I promise it's interesting and it's going somewhere. Tell your friends._

* * *

**The Chess Match**

**8**

**----L/L----**

"You're an odd one," she said bluntly.

L knew it was true and so didn't take offense. Instead, the man's lips turned up slightly and he looked back at the woman in white from the corners of his dark eyes. "Normal doesn't grant greatness."

The green-haired woman laughed and there was something quite uninhibited with the sound. She fixed a golden gaze on L that was surprisingly free of the usual judgment of his strange appearance. "How true; yet people are too often unable to admit that."

L felt his smile broaden a fraction. He recognized the woman as the one the other men referred to simply as "Zero's Whore" and dismissed just as easily. L, on the other hand, knew that regardless of her position within the Black Knights, she was still close to Zero himself. In fact, if she _were_ his lover, she was probably one of the very few—or even the only one—who knew the masked crusader's identity. A genius of L's intellect could easily see that anyone that close to Zero would have a certain amount of sway in the organization. While it was his first opportunity to speak with her, L had already decided he would treat her with respect and deference that he gave to his other superiors. Getting into her good graces meant he was one step closer to the man underneath the mask.

"Because they don't want to admit they are normal themselves," L continued simply. "It's not a case of the odd ones out, but of the normal ones staying happily caged."

The woman smiled. "My, aren't you clever with words."

L returned her smiled with a quirky expression. "My name is Rue Ryuuzaki."

"R Two, then? How fateful," she replied drolly. "I'm called C.C.."

It was so blatantly a false name that L wondered whether she had a criminal record. Kira had yet to stoop to killing prostitutes, which further supported the idea that she wasn't a whore at all. Her status was likely a ruse created by Zero to keep his subordinates from asking her too many questions or trying to get close to her themselves. She obviously wasn't Japanese, so her superiority over the freedom fighters would be a sore spot if it became an issue.

But her use of a pseudonym pointed to another clue. If she knew Zero were Kira, then she would have no fear of using her true name in public. Kira wouldn't kill her if she were such a great asset to his plans as Zero.

Of course, Britannia did not need to know this detail and L's ever-growing suspicion that Zero and Kira were not, in fact, one and the same like he had led the Empire to believe.

"It's a pleasure, Miss C.C.."

She tilted her head to one side, letting her green waves shift and settle along her strange outfit that resembled a prisoner-of-war's straight jacket. Her smile never faded and her voice chimed out, an oddly child-like sound yet with a sense of finality that belied her youthful looks. "Until next time."

Indeed, L would look forward to the next time they met. He smiled and watched as she meandered idly towards the high-security rooms.

He was left with the pleasing idea that they were both extremely odd.

----L/L----

"The Black Knights sure know how to pick them," C.C drawled as she entered the small council room.

Tamaki, as per usual, took her comment as a personal insult. "Hey, we were hand-picked by Zero here!"

Lelouch sighed through his mask. His voice echoed when he spoke, although his slight exasperation was still noticeable to the others in the room. "She wasn't talking about you. C.C., if you could refrain from ambiguous comments in the future?"

"Understood, sir," she answered carelessly and flopped onto the padded bench-seat outside the circle.

"Back to business," Lelouch said, turning to face the rest of his small team. "The Choufu Base is heavily guarded, but if we strike when the soldiers are at dinner, there should be fewer Knightmares ready to fight us."

"So we just gotta figure out when they stuff their faces and then blow our way in? Sounds easy enough to me," Tamaki began, scoffing at enemies that weren't present. Lelouch suppressed a groan of irritation—he really needed to find something else the loud-mouthed Japanese man could do. "It'll be a piece of cake! We've even got the Holy Blades with us for this one! Hey, Zero, is it really true that they're going to join up with us afterwards?"

"Tamaki," Lelouch began, his voice echoing through the mask, "That is not the topic we are discussing."

There was a short silence after Zero's words, before Ohgi looked over at him seriously. "What are the details of the plan, Zero?"

This was why Lelouch like Ohgi. The man was straightforward and followed orders well without complaining.

"The mission will commence at eighteen hundred hours with a three explosions on the western wall, large enough to make an entrance for the Holy Blades. I've already sent them a detailed battle plan, as the majority of you will be working behind the scenes on this one. There's no reason for us to deploy more Knightmares than necessary." Lelouch turned to Kallen, nodding to her. "As my honor guard however, Kallen, you will accompany me. We'll head straight for Toudou's cell, before meeting up with the rest of the Holy Blades and Toudou's Knightmare Frame."

Kallen nodded smartly, her face almost lighting up at the prospect of taking the Guren out again. Lelouch turned to Ohgi next, looking into the man's honest eyes. "Ohgi, please choose a reliable driver for the truck."

"Okay," Ohgi replied, his eyes unfocusing as he obviously began sifting through mental lists of candidates.

Lelouch found himself smiling under the mask. As far as missions went, this one was more or less in the bag. The only foreseeable problem would be if Toudou were killed before anyone could reach him, but even then it was likely the Four Holy Blades would stick with the Black Knights. There wasn't anywhere else for them to go.

"Diethard, you'll be in charge of communications between the headquarters and my unit. Don't contact me unless it's an emergency."

"Of course, Zero," the blond man replied, leaning forward as if bowing, even though they were all sitting on the green bench seats of the headquarters.

"Hey, Zero, what about me?" Tamaki asked, grinning as if the masked man had accidentally forgotten his role, however unlikely that actually was.

"You still have a lot of recruits to train," Lelouch answered, standing up. "And I have somewhere else I need to be. I'll see you all in two days time. Meeting adjourned."

The men filed out, and Lelouch loosened his tie as he glanced over at C.C.. The witch looked back at him, but then past him, her gaze pointed. Lelouch looked over his shoulder and his hand fell from his tie. Kallen had remained behind. Something was off, Lelouch realized with a hint of panic, as she looked down at her feet and bit her lip. She... she hadn't guessed his identity, had she?

"Um, Zero?"

"Yes, Kallen." His tone was neutral.

"If... if I was thinking about getting someone to join the Black Knights," she began, and then finally looked up at his mask, her eyes not ever able to really pick out his, "how would I do that?"

Lelouch felt his shoulders relax. "Tamaki is in charge of recruits, but... I trust you can use your judgment in the matter." He didn't add that Kallen would probably do a better job with the recruits than the hotheaded man, but that she was more valuable to waste on that task.

"Ah-, but I don't know how to... well, ask the person without giving too much away." Her eyebrows knitted together over bright blue eyes.

Lelouch laid a gloved hand on her shoulder. "Kallen. I trust you."

The look he received in return first held surprise, but then melted into a respect and adoration reserved solely for heroes. Her eyes shone with new determination and confidence in herself.

"Th-thank you, Zero. I won't let you down."

----L/L----

"So?" Rivalz drawled out, punching Lelouch in the shoulder. Lelouch grimaced. "Who is she? Do you loooooove her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lelouch said, facing forward. Somehow, he _knew_ it had been Light. Who else had seen the green-haired witch in his room? Who else would tell Rivalz? The worst part was that Lelouch was far from feeling like talking about girls at the moment. Not only was his relationship with Shirley completely erased, but he never would have time to mess around like other high school students.

"Le_louch_," Rivalz whined, drawing out the second syllable of his friend's name. "You can trust me with this kind of thing." The blue-haired boy's face was serious, and he stopped walking, pulling Lelouch to look him in the eye. "We've been friends since junior high, but..."

Rivalz looked away, his open face downcast and he bit his lip. Lelouch blinked, recognizing the classic emotion. Something was bothering Rivalz.

Lelouch relaxed a bit, and offered a smile. "What's the matter," he sighed, not really making it a question.

Rivalz looked up again, a little sheepishly. "Well, you've just been... a bit distant lately. I mean, you quit those chess games and we don't seem to hang out as much. You're always skipping class or Student Council meetings."

"Some of us can afford to skip class and still get top marks," Lelouch teased back, hoping to lighten the mood.

It didn't work; Rivalz looked more upset, his eyes reflecting hurt that Lelouch would just brush him off so easily. "That's not the point, Lelouch."

There was a short awkward silence as neither looked at each other, before Lelouch broke it.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. How could he have thought that his friends wouldn't notice his actions? Being Zero was taking up a lot of his time and balancing his double life was exhausting. Still, it wasn't as if he could really open up to anyone about his alter-identity. It wasn't as though he thought any less of Rivalz—or anyone else on the Student Council—but he hadn't thought about what they would think of his frequent absences or lackluster appearances.

Lelouch was brought out of his thoughts as he was suddenly bent and twisted into a headlock.

"Now you're even gloomier that _I_ was, Lelouch!" Rivalz seemed to have recovered his usual bouncy mood as Lelouch flailed helplessly to get himself released. Rivalz held the position for a few moments, laughing, before letting his friend go.

Lelouch straightened up and pulled his jacket into order. He wasn't really sure how or why, but Rivalz seemed back to normal.

"Look, you've obviously got a lot of stuff on your mind, Lelouch," Rivalz said seriously. "You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to, but I'm always here to listen if you change your mind. That's what friends are for, right?"

Even though nothing had changed, Lelouch somehow felt a burden lift from his shoulders. He nodded, feeling a bit ashamed that he wasn't trusting Rivalz and his candid honesty and understanding. "Yeah, it's what friends are for."

"Sooooooo, you can tell me about this girl, right?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes. Some people were incurable. "Like I said, there isn't a girl."

"But I –saw- a picture of her, Lelouch. And my source was pretty good. You've got to tell me where you found her. She's really hot. Does she have a sister? A cousin?" Rivalz continued.

"Don't you like the President anyway?" Lelouch answered with a question.

"Shhhh! You can't just go saying that in an open hallway like this! Jeez, Lelouch," he said, admonishing Lelouch with a finger before folding his arms behind his head.

"Can't say what?" a girl's voice asked, turning the corner ahead of them.

"K-Kallen!" Rivalz gasped in relief. Lelouch laughed, realizing that Rivalz had been worried that Milly had been the voice and the one to overhear them.

Kallen looked between the two of them with a slight suspicion. Lelouch was a little startled to realize just how well she could conceal her expression when she wanted to. If the same thing had happened in the Black Knight's headquarters, she would have knocked the answer out of anyone. Zero excluded, of course.

"Never mind that," Rivalz said quickly, hurrying over to Kallen's side. He threw an arm over her shoulder and nearly pressed his cheek against hers, looking sideways into her eyes. Her shying-away reaction was a little delayed and so Rivalz leaned into her, making her escape impossible. He continued, his tone suggestive. "I heard you went on a date the other day, Miss Stadtfeld."

Lelouch watched in fascination as Kallen turned a bright scarlet.

Rivalz guffawed with joy. "So, it _is_ true! Tell me, tell me, was Light a gentleman?"

Light?

Kallen nodded, so shyly that the part of Lelouch's brain that was still working could tell she was trying hard to act the pleasant and shy character she had created.

_Light?_

The events of the previous day suddenly came back to him with more force than he had wished. Kallen Kouzuki—as opposed to Stadtfeld—coming to talk to Zero. Asking about how new members were recruited. Wondering what kind of tests one would to give before giving out information. Or a uniform.

_Light?!_

Rivalz was talking. "And what did the two of you do?"

"We had ice cream," Kallen responded demurely, the shade of her face returning to normal.

"Ooooh," Rivalz replied, nodding. "And more dates will fol—"

"You're dating Light Yagami?" Lelouch interrupted, his voice sounding odd to his own ears. But if he sounded strange, the other two didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah," Kallen said, a hint of defiance in her tone.

Rivalz suddenly looked between the two quickly, raising an eyebrow at Lelouch that asked clearly whether Lelouch were jealous or not. Just a few weeks ago, Lelouch had been showing some interest in Kallen, not in a romantic way, of course, but Rivalz's had no way of knowing that. But...

_LIGHT?!_

Lelouch replied with a wooden nod to Kallen, ignoring Rivalz's curious glance. He hoped for a nonchalant, careless mask to give him a voice. "Well, I'll see you all later. I just remembered it's gym class next."

Rivalz laughed and waved him off. "You're such a delinquent, Lelouch!" he called, before turning to interrogate Kallen some more.

Lelouch fled.

He didn't stop until he had reached the empty courtyard of the Student Council building. His room wasn't a place he could be alone in anymore, not since the witch had moved in with her incessant pizza. The garden was still blooming and his feet led him to a stone bench, warmed by the sunlight.

His mind was buzzing. Why was everything in his world suddenly revolving around Light? The damned Honorary Britannian was haunting him; he hadn't spoken to Light for several days and with little importance, but traces and whiffs of the other student were everywhere. Lelouch suddenly had the impression that he must be going crazy, that this was what a hallucinatory paranoid must feel like. Except mentions of Light _were_ everywhere. Somehow, Light had penetrated into Lelouch's secret life, found his masked exterior.

For who else could Kallen have been referring to other than Light Yagami? Recruitment into the Black Knights? Lelouch felt like retching, his stomach tightening like a vise. He didn't want Light there, not so close to him, not a part of his private life. Wherever Light went, the invisible monster followed. Kira could not be allowed to tag along into a meeting of the Black Knights. The man had already met Nunnally... wasn't that enough?

Lelouch took a deep breath, calming his wild thoughts. This was ridiculous; there was no way Light knew Lelouch was Zero... or even that Kallen was in the Black Knights. He wasn't sneakily manipulating everyone just to annoy Lelouch. _That_ was true paranoia.

Light was... just a guy. Intelligent, of course. Athletic. Japanese. Handsome, even. It was... natural for Kallen to want to pull him into the Black Knights, especially if he were someone she was attracted to.

He felt a stab of jealousy. He had enjoyed Kallen's support and loyalty as Zero. She'd never doubted him, and he'd heard everyone tease her about having a crush on their masked leader. And while he knew he didn't return her feelings... it was still a bit of a blow to his pride that she would forsake him for Light. It wasn't so much that he wanted her for himself as much as he didn't want _Light_ to have her.

He swallowed, realizing it would take some time to sort out his emotions. Although he constantly reminded himself he was carnage incarnate and that feelings were something to be tossed aside as he strove forward, he couldn't ignore them forever. He had born human like everyone else.

He sighed. Ignoring his own and the feelings of those around him had led to Shirley's current state. Something clawed at the raw wound in his chest, and he flopped over on the bench, his hair falling into his eyes. He could admit it to himself now. She had loved him. And he... he had probably loved her back, somehow, and just hadn't noticed. Why else would cutting himself off from her hurt so much? It kept her safer, despite the cost.

Love... it was a hefty word, and one Lelouch wasn't sure he could lift.

Rivalz had asked whether he loved C.C.. His first reaction was to toss it aside. Of course he didn't love her. She was a strange witch, coming and going as she pleased, and most of the things she did, he was sure she did simply to irritate him. She used his credit card mercilessly and if word of her reached the Superintendent, Lelouch wasn't sure what would happen.

And yet... surprisingly, the witch was the only one he completely confided in. She knew everything about him, both sides of his ego, and had a way of slipping off his mask.

Almost against his will he found himself agreeing with Rivalz's description. C.C. _was_ hot. There were times when Lelouch would find his eyes drawn to the way her thigh slipped out from under one of his shirts, or how she flopped over with her ridiculous stuffed Pizza Hut mascot between her legs and breasts.

Despite this, Lelouch knew their relationship wasn't sexual. She had changed in front of him numerous times and he usually didn't feel anything in the way he thought most men would if they watched her. Usually, he thought with a tinge of annoyance, it just meant he'd have to pick up her clothes for her. It was either that or trip over them.

His sexual dissatisfaction with her was probably because he knew her true nature. He called her a witch, but even then, he wasn't entirely sure what C.C. was. Her humanity was mainly what he called into question, given her ability to give out Geass and the far-seeing look in her glass-gold eyes. She wasn't normal and therefore Lelouch could easily justify not wanting to sleep with her. That, and she probably had slept with lots of other men... she was likely carrying some kind of STD.

For a moment, he felt better. All his emotions had been sorted out and he could go back to work without them sneaking up on him and hindering his logical mind.

And then he wondered why he felt the need to justify himself at all.

----L/L----

The murder of the man on school grounds greatly bothered Light. It was almost as if the culprit were deliberately mocking Kira—except no one knew Kira was really one of Ashford's students. Still, he felt that the deed could not go unpunished.

It was time to put some of his practical detective skills to use. Which was why he was waiting for Suzaku to exit the classroom. The other Honorary Britannian was his main suspect, primarily because he had entered the classroom late which meant he could easily have been at the scene of the crime, and his greatly agitated state when the body had been found.

While his father wasn't the Chief of Police any longer, Yagami Souichiro was still a member of the police force. And when his curious son had asked about the identity of the man who had been murdered at his school, the man had used his connections to come up with the name. It wasn't exactly classified, and since it had happened at Light's school, the younger Yagami was at least peripherally involved.

Within the week, Light had the description. A Chinese male, estimated age between 25 and 30, who had been identified only as "Mao." He was thought to be an orphan and illegal immigrant, as no passport or birth certificate could be produced in Area 11 or the Chinese Federation.

Nothing pointed to him being an evil man, but there was nothing to label him as a good one either. Just a definite lack of information. No one had yet determined a motive for Mao to have been on school grounds at all, let alone guess who may have killed him. Souichiro had seen the look on Light's face and cautioned his only son to stay out of the case. Light had smiled and promised, like a good son would.

But some promises had to be broken for the betterment of the world. His father might not understand, but Light was unable to turn away from misdeeds. The world would never become a kinder place until criminals understood there were consequences for their actions.

And whether he had asked for the task or not, Light was the only one who could judge them now.

He looked up as the green-eyed son of the former Prime Minister exited the classroom. Light pretended he hadn't been waiting for Suzaku in particular, but gave him a friendly smile.

Suzaku immediately returned the look, his face completely transformed into a boyish grin. "Hi there, Light. Do you want to go get a snack with me?"

Suzaku was ever the personable character, as Light had predicted and the genius nodded. "Sure, I was thinking of getting something for myself anyway."

The pair headed off down the brightly lit hallway and down the stairs to the snack machine. A few other students milled about the courtyard, having nothing else to do during the short break between classes. Light and Suzaku were given a few odd looks, but for the most part, the two of them were getting to be normal staples of the school. Suzaku was well-liked by the prestigious Student Council and Light had been culturing the favor of the student body more directly. It didn't hurt that he was extremely intelligent and good-looking as well. Dating Kallen had been a good move, and he had noticed other girls eyeing him with the same looks that had followed him ever since he had entered junior high.

They stopped in front of the machine and Suzaku gestured for Light to go first. He inserted a few coins in exchange for a bag of chips, then moved aside as Suzaku got himself some candy. It made Suzaku seem almost more childish, but Light reflected back on the moment he had seen Suzaku's tortured face when Mao's body had been found. His nature could be deceiving.

"It's weird to think that someone died here last week, isn't it?" Light asked, pretending to suppress chills of some sort that should accompany any talk of death.

He watched carefully as Suzaku swallowed. He hadn't opened his candy yet. "Y-yeah."

Suzaku's green eyes were looking inward, and Light pushed forward. But gently, he reminded himself. It was obvious Suzaku knew something he wasn't telling and Light couldn't afford to alarm him. He needed to tease the information out lightly. "I heard it wasn't anyone related to the school, but... if that's the case, then why would they even have been here?"

Suzaku didn't look up, his attention still focused somewhere else that Light couldn't reach. "I... wonder that too."

Light let out an empathetic sigh. "And here I thought this school was supposed to be safer than the ghettoes or something."

That seemed to startle Suzaku out of his reverie and his glance shot up to meet Light's. "It _is_ safer here, but...."

"But what?" Light pressed, keeping his body posture open and resisting the urge to lean in. He had to let Suzaku tell him on his own.

"But there are still bad things that happen. There are still changes that need to be made to make this life, this world a better place, it's just..." he trailed off, obviously searching for the right words. "...some people think they can't affect or be affected by the rest of world for whatever reason. And that's not true... everyone can make a difference, and recognizing that changes need to be made is part of that."

Suzaku's tone rang with an idealism that Light hadn't witnessed from the other Japanese boy before. If Light didn't know any better, the words from Suzaku's mouth sounded like he was anti-Britannian. Light wasn't sure what to make of how Suzaku had been involved in the murder of Mao, but in looking at the fierce honesty in Suzaku's eyes, he made a decision.

Suzaku deserved to live in Kira's new world.

And that was enough for Light. He nodded at Suzaku's words, but didn't offer any comments in return on the subject. Glancing down at his watch proved to be the perfect pretext for changing the conversation. "We'd better head back if we don't want to miss History."

"Ah! Right," Suzaku replied, hastily opening his candy and popping a few treats into his mouth as he scrambled after Light. "I can't really afford to miss classes when I'm actually at school."

Light decided not to comment on the double crudeness of eating while not only walking—a Japanese faux pas—but also eating and speaking—a Britannian one. There was something in Suzaku's genuine attitude that made the slights easily forgivable.

Light entered the classroom, his eyes falling on his purple-eyed prey of late. And he wondered how on earth Suzaku and Lelouch managed to get along when their differences were so great.

As he took his seat, he allowed himself a longing gaze at Kallen's empty seat for the benefit of the girls surreptitiously watching him and wondered what his girlfriend was up to. Light also hoped that she'd show up the next day. He had never been stood up in his life and there was a certain pride in keeping his record clean.

----L/L----

"Kallen, I'm so glad you're feeling well enough to be here. I was a little worried about you since you weren't here yesterday."

The girl smiled up at him from under her bangs. Her voice was small and smooth. "The doctors wanted to run a few tests, but I'm feeling well today."

Light had to admit he'd been looking forward to the date. Kallen intrigued him in a way not many people did; he _knew_ she was full of secrets. And Light had never been able to back down from a challenge, especially in the form of another human being. It was also one of the first times a woman had tried to lie to him.

"Oh really?" Light asked, arching an eyebrow at her. "You know, if you're not feeling okay, I can always carry you."

As the words left his mouth, Light plucked the redhead off the ground and into his arms, princess-style. Physical contact with Light always tied girls closer to him. Kallen gasped out a few incoherent words and then flushed a dark pink. Light smirked at her.

She punched him in the shoulder in response.

"I can walk by myself, you know," she declared obstinately, and Light knew he had managed to free her feisty side.

"Then I'll just let go—" he said airily, pretending to drop her on her butt.

"Light!"

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You know what," Kallen replied, her eyes narrowing and lips forming a pout. Then she punched him in the shoulder again.

"Kallen, if you keep punching me, I really _will_ drop you," Light said dryly. He had a suspicion that the girl hit a lot harder than she realized. Not even the fun of uncovering the layers of deception she surrounded herself with was worth physical abuse.

"Sorry," Kallen mumbled, and held still. "Um, I'm not... too heavy, am I?"

Light sighed. "Of course not."

"You can put me down whenever you want."

"Are you trying to insult my strength? I'm a young, healthy, and, if I do say so myself, handsome Japanese man. Carrying you is not difficult."

Kallen tried to hide a slight smile, but it didn't escape Light's almond eyes. Wooing her was almost too easy. It wouldn't be long before she was telling him her life story. But speaking of stories... there had been something she'd wanted to discuss with him on this date and Light's curiosity was starting to get the better of him.

"Light?" Kallen's voice brought him back to the present situation.

"Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

"Out to eat."

"I know that," she retorted, "but where?"

"It's a surprise," he answered. In truth, Light hadn't decided yet where to eat, preferring to play the situation by ear. Of course, there were a few places he had in mind, and judging by the way Kallen had been acting, he decided on a teriyaki place only a few blocks from their location.

They only got a few strange looks as Light carried Kallen all the way to the restaurant. With an inner wry smile, Light supposed no one had thought he was kidnapping the beautiful Britannian girl because of their matching school uniforms. What a strange world.

"Here?" Kallen asked, as Light gently set her down outside the glass doors of the teriyaki joint.

Light nodded and opened the door for her. "After you, Kallen-_chan_."

He was rewarded with a slight blush as she strode past him. They ordered together, as Light offered to pay, and Kallen led him to a booth in the corner.

The moment they were both settled, Kallen leaned forward, her expression serious and Light had the distinct impression she had been waiting the whole afternoon for the chance to speak with him privately. Whatever the topic, it was obviously something Kallen felt strongly about. Her eyes looked fierce and full of determination.

"Light, you're really smart, and well, there's no way you, as a Japanese person, could enjoy the world we're living in," she began, her voice a hushed, but stirring whisper.

Light's face became a carefully constructed mask. What conclusion would Kallen come up with? Had he underestimated her intelligence? If she guessed his involvement with Kira... what would he do? He'd tried to kill L once, but he'd never actually used the Death Note on anyone who wasn't a criminal. Lind L. Taylor had turned out to be a man supposed to be executed at that moment anyway.

If Kallen guessed the truth, however, wasn't it more likely that she'd support him wholeheartedly? It would be such a waste to kill someone like Kallen. Her bright eyes watched him for some kind of reaction, and so Light nodded once.

"Go on," he said.

"So... so I was thinking... I do some stuff that helps Japan, you know." She swallowed, and continued a bit uneasily. "I was thinking that, well, maybe you'd be interested. Maybe you'd want to help too."

Light felt his earlier suspicions flitter away. Kallen didn't suspect him of anything—she was the guilty one, apparently. He let himself frown, pretending he was a little confused by what she was asking. "What do you mean, Kallen? What do you do to help?"

Kallen looked away, no longer able to meet Light's eyes. "Well, I can't exactly tell you that."

Light sighed. It was obvious enough what Kallen did in her spare time. So the sickness was really just an act; he'd always thought it strange that she wouldn't want her boyfriend to visit her there occasionally. He gave her his most concerned boyfriend look, pushing his eyebrows together into a worried expression. "Kallen? This... this isn't something where you could get hurt, is it? I mean, there's already your health I worry about...."

Kallen winced. "Uh, well, the thing is that I'm not actually sick or anything, Light."

Light decided to let the silence hang in the air a bit longer. If she felt guilt for lying to him, she would feel the need to make it up to him. He finally sighed.

"Kallen... I'll need some time to think about this. And what are you really getting me into?" Light asked.

"Well, it's... uh...."

"I don't know if terrorism is right, Kallen-_chan_," Light said bluntly. There was no sense beating around the bush anymore, and Light needed one last check to see if she was really planning on turning _him_ in. Light wouldn't let himself be caught admitting he agreed with terrorist acts in the Area unless he was sure the other party was of the same opinion. It took only a split second for him to see that Kallen was one of those people. She was looking at him with wide, shocked eyes.

"It's not like that!" she hissed across the table.

Light noticed that their food was on its way over and he tilted his head in the direction of the incoming waiter. Perfect. Now she was at least somewhat secure in her belief that he wouldn't tattle on her. They both were quiet as the steaming teriyaki meat and rice was placed before them. Light thanked the waiter, and Kallen nodded. A little thrill went up Light's spine as he saw how easily the two of them could lie and fool the world. The only other person who had been able to change like that had been Lelouch. Light felt a twinge of regret that he wasn't toying with the other boy instead, but then focused back on the girl beyond his meal.

The waiter left and Kallen resumed her former mood, her face somewhere between a pout and a frown as she picked up a piece of beef between her chopsticks. "As I was saying, it's not like that." She popped the morsel between her lips, and chewed. "I thought you of all people would have understood, Light-_kun_."

Light smiled at her use of honorifics; they were still on the same side. He leaned in, and let his smug, arrogant interior show for a moment. Just to show he was one step ahead of her. "Oh, but I do, Kallen-_chan_. It's just that in this world, openly admitting something like that is something I don't do."

Her eyes sparkled with admiration and her face opened like a flower towards the sun. She blinked once, twice, and then, "So... so you...you really...." A smile spread across her face, half awe and half simple pleasure.

Light nodded.

They finished their meal, their talk never straying to forbidden topics, but Kallen's happiness had not retreated. Light didn't even see the shadow of the sickly girl Kallen pretended to be at school, and instead found himself dating a robust and somewhat daring young woman.

He didn't mind. They talked and joked on the walk back to Ashford, and before parting ways, Kallen stared at her feet and wrung her hands. Light kissed her in response, reading the obvious signs and leaving her breathless.

He was fairly sure Kallen wouldn't have minded going further, but Light knew it was neither the time nor the place. He bid her goodnight and returned to his own room.

He breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at Ryuk for the first time all day. He picked up an apple from the paper bag on his desk and tossed it into the air. Light stretched, rolling his neck, and then sat at the desk. The chair squeaked as he leaned back slightly.

"Is that what you humans call love? Do you love that girl, Light?" the god asked.

Light laughed. "Did I convince even you?"

Ryuk joined in, his guttural laughter jerking his ropey body around in the air. "You're gonna be in trouble if she ever finds out."

"Which is why she won't ever find out, Ryuk," Light responded casually.

He leaned forward and turned on his computer, double clicking on the web browser as soon as it had booted up. His homepage was a news website, naturally, and he scrolled over the important events of the day before moving over to the side column. As per habit, Light clicked on the "Royal Features" icon and waited for the page to load. The final crunch of an apple echoed around the room.

Usually there was nothing that interested him, but he couldn't help searching for the new clue in his research somewhere. A single quote from one of the nobles might be enough to lead him towards a true name. Just yesterday he had discovered that most of Andreas Darlton's sons were adopted, meaning that with just a little research, he could probably wipe out the majority of Cornelia's Glaston Knights.

His chestnut eyes skimmed the information.

And then he stopped, staring at a single, small article. To the general public, it wasn't much as far as news went; it was the simple anniversary of a tragic event that occurred years ago. With a family so large and brutal, deaths were commonplace and Light had never had any interest in the royals who were already dead. It was the living ones that continued lashing out with the whip of brutality that he hunted with his pen and paper. Strange how a single article, not more than five sentences long, would be his greatest find yet.

_Today marks the eighth anniversary of the late Empress Marianne's death. As the Emperor's fifth wife, she was also the only Empress to be born without a title—one that she remedied by becoming a Knight of Rounds and earning the nickname 'Marianne the Flash.' She was assassinated in the Imperial Villa, leaving behind her two children, Princess Nunnally, who also sustained injuries in the attack, and Prince Lelouch. Both children retired to Japan (now Area 11) to serve as peace envoys for our country, but were tragically killed by the Japanese Army when they declared war._

He laughed, his vocal cords unable to withstand the rush of emotion as his face twisted into an uncontrollable grin.

_I win, Lelouch._

----L/L----

* * *

_And again! Oh snap!_

_Anyway, thanks for reading. I skipped the beta this time (sorry, Bolinoak, it's not that I think any less of you, it's just that I wanted to get this posted tonight because I won't have time later this week), so if you find any errors, please blame them on yours truly, but be sure to let me know. :) In any case, the plot thickens!_

_Please leave a review if you like this story. Or, I guess, if you don't like it, but I doubt you'd have gotten this far if you didn't._


	9. Chapter 9

**The Chess Match**

**9**

**-L/L-**

_Suzaku was the pilot of the Lancelot._

"And now I'd like to announce the new positions resulting from our reorganization," Zero continued to his rapt audience. "Supreme Commander of Military Forces will be Toudou Kyoshiro. The Chief Intelligence Commissioner in charge of public relations and intelligence gathering will be Diethard Ried."

He had known that Diethard's appointment might not go smoothly, but he didn't quite expect Tamaki to turn and apparently threaten the man. Or Nagisa's firm words questioning his authority.

"Zero, I don't meant to sound like a racist," she began, and Lelouch knew she was going to sound exactly like a racist, "but what's your reasoning behind putting a Britannian in such a sensitive position?"

"My reasoning?" Lelouch echoed. He didn't need to put up with this right now. "So what do you think of me, I wonder? Certainly you all know that I'm not Japanese either. All I need is the ability to produce results. Race, past experience and campaigns are none of my concern."

"I get it, I get it," Tamaki muttered under his breath.

Lelouch flung out an arm dramatically to continue. "Ohgi Kaname will be Second-In-Command."

Ohgi looked surprised, even though he was the only one. Lelouch smirked under his mask. "Disappointed?"

"Oh, no," he said, shaking his head. Head-banded followers congratulated him.

_Suzaku was the pilot of the Lancelot._

Lelouch shook himself mentally. He had to focus just a little longer. "Rakshata, you'll be Chief of Research and Development. Unit Zero will be led by Kallen Kouzuki. Unit Zero will be under my direct control. Think of it as my Honor Guard."

The screen flickered behind him to show the entire layout of the reorganization. "Unit One's captain is Asahina Shougo, Unit Two's captain Senba Ryouga, and Unit Three's captian is Kagesaki Kizuna. And finally—" Zero pushed forward, quelling Tamaki's open-mouthed protest before it had the chance to really start, "Tamaki Shinichiro will command the Second Special Operations Unit. That's it."

"Alright!" Tamaki shouted, punching a fist in the air and looking around at three girls who flanked him. They smiled and petted his arms in congratulations.

"Zero, may I ask one thing?" Diethard asked, his eyes looking firmly at the mask. Lelouch turned towards him. "There's an issue I'd like to discuss with you later on."

"Very well. I will expect you tomorrow." He faced the rest of the Knights, knowing he didn't really have the strength to continue being Zero any longer for today. "Everyone, please double-check your unit members and chain-of-command. Also, please review the handouts sent electronically for a complete list of your specific duties." He concluded, leaving the screen on and the room washed in a bluish light.

The Black Knights were all nodding comfortably and beginning to congratulate each other on their positions. It looked as if there were no further questions or objections and Lelouch couldn't focus any longer.

_Suzaku was the pilot of the Lancelot._

"Meeting adjourned," he stated succinctly and made his exit stage left as quickly as possible. His office door slid shut behind him and he made a quick check for anyone else in the room. Thankfully, it was empty and he locked the door again.

_Suzaku was the pilot of the Lancelot._

He took off his mask, setting it carefully on the stand on his desk. Suddenly, his whole outfit seemed too restricting and he unzipped down to his navel, stripping off the top of his suit and tearing off his tie.

_Suzaku was the pilot of the Lancelot._

How had this happened? Lelouch walked to a couch, and flopped down onto his back. He didn't notice whether he was comfortable or not. He didn't notice when C.C. wandered into the room, glanced at him, and exited again. He didn't hear Kallen knocking on the door softly before eventually leaving.

Lelouch stared at the ceiling, his mind blank except for the image of Suzaku's raised head in the open top of the white and gold Knightmare frame.

**-L/L-**

Sitting though his classes had more or less been hell. He knew Suzaku could tell that he wasn't pleased with Suzaku's new position, but they hadn't had the chance to talk about it. Of course, the rest of the school was abuzz with the news that Suzaku had somehow gained the honor of Knighthood. Milly was already planning a school-wide party for the very next day.

However, the idea of Sir Suzaku Kururugi made Lelouch's stomach churn like he was being repeatedly punched in the gut. Suzaku was playing Knight to the wrong sister. If he had to overhear _one_ more person say congratulations to Suzaku, he would surely Geass the entire—

"Lelouch?" Bright green eyes and a tentative smile appeared less than a foot in front of Lelouch's face. Lelouch jerked back out of his thoughts and away from Suzaku mentally and physically.

The other boy smiled. "Sorry to startle you, but you're so spacey today, Lelouch. Class is over—it's time for the Student Council meeting."

It was true, the room was mostly empty and the last few were trailing out of the room. Suzaku held out his hand, and Lelouch found himself taking it out of reflex. And politeness. Or maybe just out of exhaustion. He picked up his bookbag once on his feet and slung it over his shoulder.

"Ah, that's right," Lelouch said offhandedly. He really didn't want to go—undoubtedly he'd be put in charge of planning Suzaku's celebratory party. Lelouch looked out the window and away from his friend. "I can't make it today, though."

Suzaku wilted in Lelouch's peripherally vision. Outside, students were walking around the grounds, leaving through the gates, waving at friends, and enjoying the sunny day. He saw Kallen's distinctive hair as she ambled out the gates and turned left. She would be at headquarters before him, as usual.

"But you didn't come to the last one."

"Neither did you." Lelouch countered, still not looking at Suzaku.

There was an awkward pause.

"I… I meant the last one I went to, Lelouch."

Lelouch finally turned to Suzaku, who was looking at his feet in embarrassment. Lelouch sighed. "I'm sorry. I'll be sure to be there tomorrow. I just have—"

A different, yet distinctive male voice called out from the hallway. "Lelouch?" A moment later, Light appeared in the doorway, looking in curiously. "Are you still in here?"

"—to talk with Light about something today, that's all," Lelouch covered, not sure if he was thankful for the newly-appeared excuse or not. This was Light, after all. "See you tomorrow."

Lelouch slipped away from Suzaku quickly and slowed as he reached Light's side. He didn't look back at Suzaku, but instead into Light's open face. "So?"

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about," Light said plainly. Lelouch didn't stop walking entirely, and Light fell into step next to him. The last thing Lelouch needed was for Suzaku to overhear and realize that Lelouch had just used Light as a convenient excuse to skip the Council meeting. Even though he had.

"I don't really have much time," Lelouch said. He had enough on his mind without worrying about his paranoia with Light. At least the boy hadn't shown up in his Black Knight ranks yet. And with some hope, maybe he wouldn't.

He glanced sideways to see Light's expression harden almost imperceptibly. It was in his lips, Lelouch saw carefully, and how they thinned when he pressed them together harder. Maybe a tenseness in his brows as well.

"This is something you want to know, Lelouch." His voice was evenly controlled and not one that suggested frivolous high school rivalries. Not that their rivalry was entirely frivolous, but this voice was colder. It commanded attention. Lelouch felt his paranoia around Light returning. Had this something to do with the monster… with Kira? His stomach dropped.

"I still don't really have the time, you know…." Lelouch tried to be evasive. Part of him just wanted to run away and not deal with any more complications. But then Light stopped walking and Lelouch was compelled to do the same. Out of reflex. Or politeness. Or…. He looked into Light's eyes, and the gaze was ferociously intense, burning with a piercing look that nearly made Lelouch look away.

"It's about you and your sister, Lelouch." The terrifying eyes held him still as Lelouch's blood turned to ice. "Trust me, you want to know."

_Checkmate_. Lelouch thought wretchedly. Light had him with his only true weakness. With that tone and those words, there was no way Lelouch could say no. He nodded weakly and gestured for Light to follow him to a safe room to talk.

He took Light to an unused extracurricular room with a single table surrounded a several chairs, and switched on the light. It flickered several times before seeming to take hold and reach the corners of the room. The shades were pulled over the windows, and Lelouch didn't bother to open them. He turned to face Light, his stomach in knots.

"Well?" he asked apprehensively.

Instead of answering directly and assuaging Lelouch's fears, Light unzipped his bag and pulled out a folder. Lelouch leaned against the table and clicked his fingernails on the surface impatiently. He could have sworn Light smirked ever so slightly at the noise and Lelouch immediately stopped to clench his restless fist instead.

"I figured that if I were able to figure this out, others might as well. And in these dangerous times…." Light trailed off cryptically, and held out a piece of paper.

Lelouch had the sinking feeling he already knew what the short printed article said. Ah, yes, so he wasn't the only one who noticed such an anniversary of death. And Lelouch had always figured someone would call him out on his secret… it was just that he had stopped being quite as wary after seven years had passed without a whisper. Lelouch scanned the short paragraph without moving a muscle or revealing an expression other than blankness. He stared at the crisp black ink several seconds longer, before looking up at Light.

There was only one thing to do at the moment. He sighed, leaned back, his amethyst eyes almost casually meeting Light's almond ones, and handed the paper back soberly. "Alright. What are you going to do about this, Light?"

His seeming easiness seemed to slightly confuse Light. As if Light had expected a bigger shock from Lelouch. Lelouch realized Light had probably _wanted_ the news to shock Lelouch—his goal was to annoy and frighten and terrorize his rival. It might be better to use Geass to make Light forget this news… but then he'd be left completely unarmed if Light rediscovered it. No, more like _when_ Light rediscovered it; the article was probably copied and saved to his computer, e-mail, and with several hard copies. Light would be thorough. And Lelouch couldn't shake the feeling that he might need to protect his other identity with the Geass if Kallen brought him into the Order of the Black Knights. If Shirley had been able to figure out he was Zero, then what would stop a genius like Light? Besides, at the moment, they were completely alone… and Light could have brought it up in front of others. That meant Light didn't want anyone else to know, at least not yet. Light's tanned features smoothed over quickly into a frown that Lelouch didn't trust.

"What do you mean, what am _I_ going to do about it? I just came here to warn you…" Light replied, only playing the part of a worried friend. Lelouch knew they weren't friends. "After all, royals are specifically targeted right now."

"I know," Lelouch answered succinctly, offering nothing more.

Light returned his look, eyeing him with slight suspicion. "Aren't you worried that Kira will kill you?"

The room seemed to hum with tension. The table and chairs around them faded from focus and it was like they were the only two people in the world who mattered and made a difference. Instinctively, Lelouch could sense that Light's words were a veiled threat. Fear plunged through him, bathing him in a wash of ice and anxiety. Did Light know that the monster was following him? Light's eyes were catching him again in their strange thrall, but Lelouch didn't want to lose this time. He was stronger. He could look anyone in the eye and make them obey him. Geass or no, Lelouch wouldn't hesitate to prove to Light that he was stronger. The words seemed to leave Lelouch of their own accord, his strong will unable to stand down from such a challenge. He almost smiled.

"Unless Kira is in this room," he began slowly, his voice plying the words sonorously, "there's no reason I should be worried, right, …Light?"

Light blinked once, his eyes hard like amber, but the rest of his face softened. "I simply meant that anyone could figure out what I did. That means that Kira must be able to as well."

"But Kira doesn't need to kill those who are already dead. Light, the article states that Nunnally and I are dead."

"But you're obviously not!" Light hissed, stepping closer. His face was less than a foot away from the ex-Prince, and Lelouch caught the scent of sandalwood and juniper. "Don't you get it, Lelouch?"

"Of course I understand," Lelouch replied calmly against the stormy tide that was Light. He could tell he wasn't giving Light the reaction he wanted—the other student looked like he wanted to shake the calm acceptance right out of Lelouch. It made Lelouch feel even more smug because he wasn't giving Light what he wanted. "I've been expecting someone to figure it out for years. I didn't expect it to take seven years and a genius to do so."

"But what if Kira decides to kill you, Lelouch? Don't you care?" Light searched Lelouch's face for details other than seeming apathy. Lelouch narrowed his eyes in response, his voice coming out harder than he had expected.

"I am not a criminal."

Light didn't move away, but sucked in a short breath. Lelouch watched intently—what did this reaction mean? Suspicion about something deeper at work here between Light and Kira gnawed at the back of Lelouch's mind, but he held Light's eyes fiercely, refusing to back down. Light held his gaze as if he couldn't look away, even as his body posture calmed down. His eyes continued to dance with some inner fire that Lelouch took to mean the Japanese boy was enjoying himself. Light's voice was low and just above a whisper. "No… you're not."

"And if he actually reads, he'll know I'm no longer a Prince," Lelouch continued, his voice ringing out clearly after Light's softer words. "In fact, if he realizes I'm alive, he would probably understand that it's not him that I'm hiding from, but from the Royals themselves."

"Lelouch…" Light began thoguhtfully, "Why _are_ you hiding from your family? You could be wealthy and powerful."

"And dead."

Light sighed with exasperation, and Lelouch realized he was beginning to be able to tell when Light was play-acting as a normal student. It was unsettling to simultaneously understand that Light was most often pretending. He focused on Light's words, their lilt too perfect for the situation. "Let's assume Kira's not around, since you make it sound like it has nothing to do with it. Why wouldn't you want to be with your family? I can't imagine what it would be like to make mine think I'm dead."

Lelouch snorted derisively. Not only was Light probably imagining it at that very moment—the lying bastard—, but he was comparing his family with Lelouch's all in an innocent-sounding fashion. It was actually funny. "Without my mother's protection, I'm fairly certain that the mothers of my half-siblings would have killed Nunnally and me. If not the half-siblings themselves. And don't think it would have bothered the Emperor to see his progeny killing each other off." Lelouch looked away, off to the right, even though his voice didn't waver or lose volume. "He didn't even care when my mother died and she was supposedly his favorite."

Lelouch heard Light swallow uncomfortably, and saw peripherally that his expression showed the same fascination one would have when watching a Knightmare burn with a man trapped inside. It was an honest expression, not a fake one. Lelouch realized his utter contempt and bitterness was showing Light a side that he hadn't been privy to before.

"I'm… sorry," Light said into the silence. "I didn't think it was quite like that. Or that there would be some of you who would choose to leave it."

For the first time, Lelouch actually could believe Light's apology was genuine. It wouldn't be strange if Light disliked Britannia either—he had been more or less grandfathered in as an honorary Britannian by his father's position as a police officer working with Britannia on the Kira investigation. He was still Japanese. He had been in Japan at the same time Lelouch watched the bombs fall in sunflower fields where children played.

"To be honest, Light," Lelouch said, and then turned to look him squarely in the eye. The space between them was utterly still, and Lelouch's voice came out deep and dark as it filled the void. "I hate Britannia."

Something seemed to click inside Light with those words, his eyes widening and growing more luminous. He seemed to radiate a strange, yet oddly benevolent power that disconcerted Lelouch and made him wonder if he shouldn't have stopped himself from telling Light that fact. But a slight smile appeared on Light's lips, and he looked at his opponent candidly as if he had removed the usual mask that smoothed his pretty features into a normal high schooler's. It was captivatingly criminal. "To be honest, Lelouch, so do I."

There was no doubt in Lelouch's mind that Light spoke the truth. Britannia had ruined both of their lives, all the clearer to the two of them. Their intelligence wouldn't let them pretend otherwise, their strength wouldn't let them forget, and their arrogance… in Lelouch's case, he knew he wouldn't let Britannia get away with it, so how could he assume anything else in Light's case?

They were very similar, and the thought simultaneously relieved and concerned Lelouch. It meant that Light was less likely to reveal Lelouch's royal secret—what good would it do?—but Lelouch was fairly sure he still hated Light. Light could be a liability if he disliked Lelouch enough to simply want to blackmail or use him in any way. Which was actually a relatively high possibility considering their past. It might be safest to use Geass on Light immediately, to protect himself and to protect Nunnally. But there was always the question of Light being ushered into the Black Knights by Kallen and his identity as Zero was far more important to hide than his princely status. It would be a shame to waste Geass on Light for something the other boy might not tell anyone anyway.

It was probably best to wait and decide. He wouldn't have to use Geass on Light… yet. And if Light tried to blackmail Lelouch, he would first have to make sure Light couldn't figure out his lineage again or anything related to Nunnally. Whatever it was, Lelouch would have to be very careful and specific with his Geass order. If there were anyone intelligent enough to work around a Geass to obtain what he wanted, it would be Light. Why on earth was this frustrating boy in his school? Light was turning into a paranoia headache, and Lelouch could no longer force himself to believe Light was just another student.

"I won't tell anyone," Light said, and Lelouch suddenly had the terrifying suspicion that Light could read his mind—but no, that was Mao, who was dead, and Light was simply just intelligent enough to guess the obvious. "You can trust me."

Lelouch just stared at him. "Light, while we're on the subject of honesty, you should know that I trust you as far as I can throw you."

Light laughed easily, seeming pleased with Lelouch's flat response. "And everyone knows you would be hard-pressed to even lift me."

"Exactly," Lelouch replied, a tight smile appearing on his face. At least they understood each other.

"Well, that's all I really wanted to say, and it seems like you've got a handle on things yourself," Light said, stepping back finally and turning towards the door. He reached for the knob, but let his hand rest on it while he tilted his head back over his shoulder towards his fellow student. "We should talk again sometime, Lelouch. I find you very interesting."

The door opened, and then swung shut behind Light's back. Lelouch stayed frozen for several seconds trying to digest Light's words, and then sagged with exhaustion and bewilderment. The ordeal had been quite trying and… what on earth had Light meant by the last statement? They both knew they were playing with an unknown fire—otherwise Light wouldn't have hinted at his own true character to Lelouch and Lelouch was strong enough to face him back. And all the talk of Kira… Lelouch realized there was probably a significant connection, considering the invisible monster was in all likelihood still following Light. But the real question was whether Light knew it or not. And was it really Kira? Or was Light simply all too obsessed with the killer because of his father's work and the reasoning behind Britannia's invasion?

He really _was_ getting a headache and he was still just Lelouch Lamperouge at school talking with a highly intelligent classmate. Granted, he was trying to hide that he was an exiled, presumed-dead Prince of Britannia, but it wasn't like he was worrying about being discovered as Zero—

Damn. Lelouch suddenly scrambled to the door and dashed down the hallway towards the clubhouse. He needed his briefcase and to ask a favor of C.C. before he left the building.

He still had a secret meeting to get to and an army to lead.

**-L/L-**

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_Why hello, my dear readers. It's been a long time, no? I would like to start by apologizing for the wait and give my puny excuses of being busy and having two computer crashes in the last... er, year. Has it really been THAT long since I updated? *winces* But, no, I haven't given up on this story and luckily, the next chapter is mostly written already (reasons being it was originally going to be the second half of this chapter, but then got too long and intimidating, so I cut it at 9 pages). So. Thank you all for your patience and I will do my best to live up to your expectations and update sooner.  
_

_As always, please enjoy and leave a review._

_~anja-chan  
_


	10. Chapter 10

**The Chess Match**

**10**

**-L/L-**

He had almost forgotten how intriguing Lelouch was just to talk to. The way the other boy bristled, but didn't back down from Light's accusations. The way he clearly defended himself. And of course, the way he talked about Kira as someone who made conscious decisions and understood that his purpose was to ride the world of criminals rather than to kill Britannian royals. Lelouch actually understood that it was _because_ the Britannians were often criminals who simply got away with their crimes. Lelouch was so full of interesting bits and pieces, stuck together like an ever-changing mosaic of emotions, intelligence, fragility, and strength.

And it looked like it could be the beginning of a very interesting partnership. Lelouch was unbelievably _perfect_ for what Light wanted from this school and its inhabitants. Not only did Lelouch most likely know the true names of the nobility, but he also hated them. The trick—and it would be quite a trick due to Lelouch's keen intelligence—would be to get the names he wanted from Lelouch without Lelouch knowing that he was Kira.

Of course, there was always the possibility of simply _telling_ Lelouch he was Kira. He knew Lelouch's full name from the article. He obviously knew those black locks, purple eyes, and pale face. It might just be easier to lure Lelouch in with the promise of destroying his hated Britannia, and never let him escape. If Lelouch wanted to reveal Light was Kira, Light would simply kill him. It would be extremely easy for Lelouch to be hit by a stray bullet in Area 11, and no one would ever know Kira was behind it.

"Light? Are you ready?" Kallen's voice interrupted his thoughts. He had arrived at their meeting place—the front doors of a warehouse and only a couple blocks away from the Shinjuku Ghetto. There was no one else around.

He smiled at her and gave her a quick hug and kiss. "I suppose I'll be as ready as I'll ever be." He tried to look a bit nervous at the expedition.

Kallen gave him an apologetic smile and held up a black piece of cloth. "Sorry, Light. It's protocol."

Light looked at the blindfold and shrugged. "I guess that could be expected." He lowered his head slightly so Kallen could tie is snugly around his head.

"Is that okay? It's not too tight, is it?"

"It's fine." He was surprised that she was either smart or experienced enough to cover from his nose to his eyebrows so that no light could sneak in if he wiggled his eyebrows or nose. It was also very, very opaque.

"Alright, so we're going somewhere, but obviously, you won't know where it is," Kallen began. While her speech was casual, her tone was stern. "When you get there, someone will explain who we are and stuff, and then you can either agree to join or not. Either way, by going there, you are agreeing to not reveal anything you learn. From this point on, Light,—and I'm really serious—if you tell anyone anything about this who is not a member, then you can be killed for it. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Light nodded. It was relatively clear and straightforward, but also gave him the impression that Kallen may be in over her head. She was only a high school student… and well, to be fair, so was he, but he was confident he could handle himself in any situation, and Kallen seemed too pretty to wind up in a gang. He suddenly got an image of her with a bokken and a long skirt. Maybe a small motorcycle.

"Okay then." He heard Kallen suck in a deep breath and pick up his hand. "Follow me."

Light heard the warehouse door open and a car engine start up. The warm sun left his black school jacket and the sidewalk concrete turned smoother. It was obvious they had entered the warehouse and were going to a different location by car.

"He's a Britannian student?" a male voice called incredulously. Light felt Kallen's hand tighten around his.

"He's Japanese!" came her fierce reply. It left no room for argument.

They walked towards the low rumbling vehicle, and Kallen helped guide him into the back seat. She got in next to him and fastened his seatbelt. Light couldn't help but feel the action was slightly ridiculous.

The car began to move and while Light tried to keep track of turns, distances, and road surfaces, the task was impossible without being able to judge the car speed accurately. It also felt like they kept taking right turns, which gave Light the suspicion they were purposely driving in circles to confuse him.

It seemed like a good half hour later when the car came to a stop and the engine turned off. The entire ride had been perfectly silent of conversation and Light was guided back out of the car by his girlfriend. Wherever they were, it was either inside or shady.

Several pairs of footsteps and Kallen's hand ushered him towards his left and single-filed through what Light assumed was a door. His assumption turned out to be correct as he heard it close behind him. They continued until they reached another opening door to his right.

"You're on your own from here, Light." Kallen said quietly, then whispered into his ear, "Good luck."

In a single swipe, she removed the blindfold and then gently pushed on the small of his back to urge him forward into the room. Light blinked rapidly, adjusting to the fluorescent lighting and the man at the table in front of him. The door closed behind him.

"Alright, have a seat," the man said, gesturing to a folding chair between them. He then returned his hands to a folded position behind his head, leaning back slightly and surveying Light's school uniform.

Light took the seat and scrutinized the man. He was in his mid-twenties, medium build, with short dark brown hair and a headband. Even though he was sitting, Light judged him to be about 170 centimeters tall. His uniform, although unbuttoned and slightly wrinkled, undoubtedly marked him as a member of the Black Knights.

The Black Knights. Light blinked. He was going to be a member of the Black Knights, the most wanted terrorist group in the world. And led by the masked freedom fighter, Zero, the very man L believed was Kira. This was… much bigger than he had anticipated from Kallen. Extraordinarily bigger. It seemed like lately, everything was turning out better than his expectations. The weight of the situation gave Light pause for a moment before he recovered.

He smiled politely at the man. "Thank you."

"So, you're obviously a Britannian student," the man stated bluntly. His tone made it clear he didn't think highly of this fact.

"And you're obviously a member of the Black Knights. I'm honored," Light responded, bowing his head slightly.

This seemed to please the man, because he failed his attempt to hide it. Light got the impression he was trying his best to act tough and unconcerned, but didn't know how terrible he was at acting.

"So, why would you wanna join us? You're obviously doing better than most of us in the current society. You're a student, and if you go to Kallen's school, it must mean you're pretty bright." The man looked down at his fingernails as if he wasn't really interested in Light's response. It was almost like the man was the caricature of a stereotype he'd seen on television. Light pretended he didn't notice and acted properly intimidated.

Light made himself out to be a somewhat angry teen—resentful of his father's loss of pride and rebellious towards the corrupt government. "I only got into that school because of my dad. He's an honorary Britannian and made the rest of my family ones by default. It's because I'm bright that I want to join you. I'd rather be Japanese than Britannian." Unlike the man sitting before him, Light was a brilliant actor and knew it.

"Well… we can't be letting in just anyone who wants to join, you know. And even if you _do_ get in, chances are you won't be doing any real fighting. You're just a student, and you've got no experience," the man drawled.

Light saw right through him—it seemed as if the Black Knights really _would_ recruit almost anyone, but there was still only one option to act out. "But I'm a quick learner, and a good athlete! Since I go to Britannian school, I could… could get tip-offs from other students who hear things from their parents or something!"

This seemed to interest the man like it was a perk he hadn't thought of. Light guessed he hadn't. "Well, I suppose that's true, but how do we know the opposite won't be true? You could give out our information to the Britannians."

Light swallowed a snort, and molded his face into wide-eyed shock. "I'd never do that! They're the ones who did this to Japan!"

Even he _did_ blame Britannia for ruining Japan, what he really wanted to point out was that the Black Knights had already threatened to kill him if he talked. But sometimes the truth didn't serve as much good as partialities. Or lies.

"Hmmm. What's your name, kid?"

"Yagami Light," he replied, and then added as an afterthought, "Sir." A little stroking of this man's ego seemed like it would go a ridiculously long way.

"You've got ID of some kind?"

"Is a student card okay? I've also got my old ID from before the invasion…." Light got out his wallet, glad he had saved the invalid piece of documentation. He held out both.

The man looked them over, and then handed them back across the table. "You seem to be alright and you've got Kallen's recommendation which is pretty valuable, so… we'll see how you do for now. If you really want in, say so now. If not, you can go free. It's now or never, Yagami."

"I want in." Light's voice was firm. There were too many possibilities here for him to say no and give them up. He avoided delving into all of them at the moment. That could wait.

"Alright, that's final then," he said, standing up. "I'm Tamaki Shinichirou, head of recruiting. Welcome to the Order of the Black Knights."

He held out his hand and Light stood to shake it firmly. "Thank you, sir."

They both returned to their seats. It had all been so easy. Light hadn't really anticipated any difficulties in the first place, but it had been far simpler than he had expected. And now, he was Yagami Light, a Black Knight. It was so sudden.

"Here's some paperwork for you to fill out so we know where your best fit might be," Tamaki said, sliding a single sheet towards him with a pen on top. "We need stats on everyone to put into the computer."

Light looked it over. Name, height, weight, birthplace, ethnicity, education… it was all fairly simple. He began filling it in truthfully. Not much of a reason not to. The truth, in this case, would probably bring him to the higher ranks much faster.

Tamaki continued talking while Light finished up the form. "Kallen timed things right; there's a new recruit dinner this evening that you should attend in about an hour. It's at this base, so I recommend you get a uniform first and then just get to know the place. It's only one of our many bases, of course, but layouts usually tend to follow the same pattern."

Light nodded, and passed the information sheet back to Tamaki. "So where do I get a uniform?"

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, kid," Tamaki said, and Light wanted to know how someone so incompetent wound up as head of recruitment. He had not been getting ahead of himself if Tamaki had just told him to first get a uniform. "I'll take you there myself. You wouldn't get far down these halls dressed as a civilian."

"It makes sense that security would be pretty tight," Light offered in response.

"You said it," Tamaki agreed, heading around the table and to the door. "Zero sure knows how to keep things locked up tight, but since I'm one of his best friends, anyone seen with me can go anywhere on base."

Light highly doubted that the mastermind called Zero would choose Tamaki as a best friend, but kept the opinion to himself. He made an appropriately awed face, as he followed Tamaki to the door.

Tamaki opened it, and had gotten one foot into the hallway when Kallen pounced, grabbing Light's wrist and pulling him past Tamaki. Light only barely managed to avoid hitting the recruitment head as he was jerked out into the hallway. Was she crazy?

"How'd it go?" Kallen's blue eyes were focused only on Light, completely ignoring Tamaki. Could she get away with…?

"Er, just fine, I think. I'm in, at least" Light responded. It was a little jolting to be whisked out of the room and asked while still in the presence of his examiner. In his peripheral vision, Tamaki seemed upset at Kallen for stealing away Light's attention, but made no motion to intervene. Kallen must have some kind of rank or superiority over the man—Tamaki didn't seem like the type to let an equal ignore him. Hell, he didn't even seem like he'd let a superior in a casual situation do that. So why Kallen?

She was talking. "And you're sure about it? I mean, we do lots of dangerous things, and—"

"Kallen, I already made up my mind, okay?" Light interrupted her gently. "I need to go get my uniform."

"Oh. Right, I'll go with you." She didn't give Tamaki a second glance and began dragging Light down the corridor.

It occurred to Light that Kallen probably held a _much_ higher rank than Tamaki Shinichirou. While this seemed to be the case considering her attitude, Light had no idea why. Although Light definitely preferred Kallen's intelligence and manner to Tamaki's, it was strange that a younger female held a higher rank. She also devoted at least half her time to being at school.

"Kallen…" Light began, and she slowed to look at him, releasing his hand so they could walk side by side. He glanced back at Tamaki who was shuffling with his hands in his pockets the other way down the hallway."…What exactly is your rank?"

The redhead looked into Light's eyes directly and gave him a self-satisfied smirk that looked nothing like the Kallen he had first asked on a date so long ago. "I'm Zero's ace."

It was neither the answer nor reaction Light expected. But he could work with that. Oh, definitely, he could work with that. It was truly some kind of gift the way opportunities fell into his lap effortlessly. "You- you are? So… you actually get to see and talk to Zero himself?"

Kallen nodded, her bright hair swaying. "He's incredible, really, Light. There's never been a leader like him, I'm sure of it."

Light wasn't really sure what to make of her statement other than wonder whether he, as her boyfriend, was supposed to be jealous or not. A Black Knight walked past them, giving their school uniforms a strange look before obviously recognizing Kallen and giving her a smile. He wondered how big the organization really was. "Do you think I'll get to meet him?"

Kallen looked Light up and down carefully, as if sizing up his Black Knight capabilities. She was being even more forward with him then she had lately been since revealing her heritage. "Hmmmm, well, you'll probably have to do a _lot_ more here than waltz on in as arrogant as I know you are. Work your way up the ladder and all… I've been doing this since before even _Zero_ got here, so you've got a long way to go, buddy."

Light chuckled and held up his hands. "Alright, you got me. I get it, I won't be able to see our marvelous miracle-maker until I prove my mettle." He gave a sigh, before casting her a teasing smirk. "But I bet I'm still the type to look good in a uniform regardless of what I'm doing."

Kallen flushed a light pink and rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, playboy. Let's see you suit up then 'cuz we're here."

She opened a door appropriately marked "UNIFORMS" in kanji. Rows upon rows of dark grey and black jackets greeted them, separated by a red sign with and arrow pointing out the section for "WOMEN" and a blue one for "MEN."

"I'll let you find your own sizes and stuff, and then just wait for me here," Kallen instructed. "I'm going to go to my locker and change. Oh, there are locker rooms in the back, so just go in and change in there. Nobody steals stuff from here, so just remember whatever your locker number is for later, okay?"

"No problem," Light said, smiling at her. "See you soon."

She practically dashed off and Light shook his head at her enthusiasm—it was so different from her school persona. He turned towards the men's section and located a long-sleeved jacket and grey pants in his sizes before heading into the locker room. There were several pairs of boots and shoes, and even though his school shoes looked basically the same, Light grabbed a pair so there would be no connections between his school life and his terrorist one. There was no such thing as being too careful.

Pretending to look around the room just to be interested, he made a quick check for cameras. He couldn't decide whether it was more likely or unlikely for some to be posted in the locker room that, contrary to definition, wasn't locked. He didn't see anything obvious or fairly subtle, so changed as quickly as possible and poked into a couple of lockers. Most of them were empty, but a couple held some rather worn plain clothes. They were obviously older—from before the invasion—pointing to the clientele being from the Ghettoes.

He returned to main room and found Kallen waiting for him. Her transformation was impressive, and Light had to admit, more appealing than her school attire. Her hair was flipped up and adorned with the same kind of headband Tamaki had been wearing. Light gave it a gentle tap.

"Is this part of the uniform as well?" he asked giving her a smile.

Kallen's eyes grew larger for a moment before she looked down. "Kinda. But just for a few of us." She continued before Light could ask it's meaning and whether he should find one as well. "My brother used to run a small resistance group, and well, the people you see wearing these were all part of his group. He… died, though… and so we all wear this to remember him, even though we're part of Zero's group now."

"I'm sorry, I had no idea," Light said smoothly, a little shocked. Kallen had so much depth! It was amazing, and he gave her a hug to hide his face from her. He didn't want her to believe he thought the fact that her brother was dead was incredible—because he didn't—but Kallen was always unfolding to reveal more and more layers. She was strangely fascinating and each layer she revealed to Light, the more he was able to put together a better picture of her. She was probably the smartest woman he had ever met, and didn't know how many layers she still had left until he would know her completely.

He realized with a mental jolt that maybe, just maybe, he had underestimated Kallen Stadtfeld.

"It's okay, really." She shrugged off his hug and began moving towards the door. "You should really start exploring the place, now that you're a member and all."

Light smiled. He really _was_ a member of the Black Knights now, whatever that really meant. It was almost frightening how easy it was to infiltrate the most wanted terrorist group and he no longer had to wonder about how L had found twenty of them so easily. They were geniuses of a similar caliber, after all.

Light followed Kallen to the door, her walk bouncy enough to clearly show her excitement at showing it off to Light. They talked easily as she led and he memorized the series of mazelike corridors and rooms. Kallen only received a few catcalls from other members—mostly men slightly older than her—at being seen walking around with her boyfriend. Light found the situation funny, which only made Kallen more embarrassed.

Kallen was still bright red when a much taller man approached them. Light was almost shocked to see that although he wore a Black Knight uniform, he was unmistakably Britannian. With a single lock of hair perpetually escaping from a pony tail, and vigorous bright blue eyes, there was no mistaking it. And unlike Kallen's soft face that had Japanese angles and roundness, if not color, this man's was rigid and angular. Very Britannian.

"Miss Kozuki, may I have a word?" he asked, his manner brusque and slightly awkward. Light kept his expression neutral.

Kallen looked torn for a moment between staying with Light and finding out what the man had to say. Then she turned to Light. "Um. I'll text you or something when this is over. You can keep looking around."

Light fixed a smile on his face, even though he was trying to comprehend whether his girlfriend had just blown him off. "It's fine, Kallen. I have to go to the new recruits dinner soon anyway."

She flashed him a huge grin—Light was forced to admit his girlfriend was stunningly gorgeous—and then turned back to the Britannian Black Knight, her manner becoming serious. "Were you just at Zero's meeting?"

Light turned and looked around, as if he weren't paying close attention to their conversation and instead trying to decide where to wander off to. So this man held a higher rank than Kallen? Or was Kallen just in trouble for missing the meeting?

"Yes, and there is something for you to do," he began and then Light heard them beginning to walk in the opposite direction down the hallway. "You see," the man said confidentially, his voice growing fainter, so that it was difficult for Light to be sure of all the words, "Miss Kozuki, you… …the perfect… …for… …thing Zero needs…."

The rest was lost in a low murmur and then silence as they turned a corner. Light sighed and figured he could at least ask Kallen later and see if it were anything important. For now, he had the run of the Order of the Black Knights base.

Thoughts danced around in his head as he walked. What if he were able to discover Zero's identity? There would be so much room to play with blackmail if he did. Even if he didn't, how could he get Zero to help Kira? For surely, Zero could get information that Light didn't have yet. He would have to make himself extremely useful to the Black Knights… it was a good thing that Kallen had been the one to invite him in. Her apparent superiority gave him a leg up on other new members. And probably older ones, he inwardly laughed, thinking of Tamaki.

Admittedly, being a Black Knight might be dangerous for a couple reasons. One, for the obvious reasons of being in a militant group in a war zone. The other was L. The detective was already looking closely into the Black Knights as if Kira were Zero…

…Which was really the perfect cover, Light suddenly realized. Now that Light was a member of the Black Knights, he could use the Death Note on criminals who may also be in Zero's way. It would seem obvious that L were right in his assumption of Kira and Zero being the same, and yet… L was obviously smart enough to guess that Kira might be simply leading him on. The beauty was that even if he did, he would still be required to follow that lead. As a detective, he could do no less. And if Light found truly despicable people within the Black Knights, it would look like Kira-as-Zero was hiding his identity by secretly killing off some of his members to throw L off his trail. No matter what he did, L wouldn't be able to figure out whether Kira was Zero or not just by basing it off of who died. They were both too smart for that.

He entered a small cafeteria where the dinner would be held, his mind still wandering with opportunities, and decided to find a table. There were already a few people milling around, looking awkward like they didn't quite belong yet. Upon second glance, Light decided it might look strange if he didn't get something to eat or drink first….

Light had just opened his bag of chips when a figure appeared at his left shoulder with a quiet male voice.

"Is it alright if I sit here?"

Light swiveled his head and found two terrifyingly large and black eyes staring into his.

It was only through sheer force of will (and probably training with Ryuk) that allowed him to keep his composure. "Ah, sure. Have a seat."

To Light's utter fascination, the man shuffled to the seat across from him—he wasn't wearing shoes!—and climbed into it like an awkward monkey. A ruffled mop of black hair hung in disarray around his face, casting deep shadows onto his pale face. His uniform was loose and Light got the impression the man sitting—or rather, squatting—opposite from him was anorexically thin. He held a styrofoam cup filled with dark, steaming liquid and began removing packets of sugar from his pockets to place them on the table.

"…Hi," Light decided to begin casually since the stranger didn't seem to be making any effort at conversation. The mound of sugar packets was already in the double digits. "My name is Light, and I just join—"

"How interesting that you give out your name so easily," the man interrupted, his spindly fingers now picking up sugar packets one by one and tearing them open with practiced ease. He didn't look at Light.

There was a pause as Light tried to decide how to continue. He ate a chip to buy time and watched another member file into the cafeteria looking lost. He turned his gaze back to the man across from him. "How interesting," he started carefully, "that you still have not."

The man looked up, his black eyes peeping through dark hair. Even though there were bags under his eyes, he looked startlingly alert. With that amount of sugar, it wasn't terribly surprising, Light thought dryly. The man was still draining white crystals into his drink.

"Yes. Well, it's nice to meet you, Light who just joined." There was a moment's pause before the dark haired man continued. "Is that better?"

"Um," Light said, making it a judgment. Was this guy an idiot or just trying to make enemies? "I suppose. But I guess I wanted to know something I can call you as well."

"Oh. Rue Ryuuzaki." He took a stirring stick out of his pocket and began to stir his coffee. If there was one thing that was sure, Rue Ryuuzaki was terrible at making conversation.

"It's nice to meet you, Ryuuzaki-_san_," Light replied politely. His new acquaintance thoughtfully sipped coffee. It seemed to be to his liking as the man made a low contented noise in his throat. "Are you here for the new recruit dinner?"

"Something of that nature."

Light paused. What did that even _mean?_

"I decided to join just after L and Cornelia kidnapped me," he continued, unperturbed. "So I've been here a few times before."

Light's eyes widened. This man… had a connection to his rival, however small. "You were part of the 20 members? I saw that on the news…. So L just found random people off the street? Who weren't even Black Knights? I wasn't sure if that were true or not."

"Yes. It's so nice of Zero to save people falsely accused." The way Ryuuzaki delivered his lines in a monotone, Light couldn't be sure if he were being sarcastic or genuine. It left Light feeling off-balance. He was beginning to wish Kallen would text him soon so he had a polite excuse to leave. Awkwardness seemed to cling to Ryuuzaki like a spray-on tan… that maybe the man needed. He couldn't be fully Japanese and that pale… no one was that pale. Light smiled and made a sound of agreement, not really sure what else to do.

Silence descended on the table, stagnant and suffocating. What was he supposed to _do_?

"Tell me," Ryuuzaki began suddenly, his uncanny eyes piercing, "why did you join?"

Light blinked, his nerves oddly on edge. "To fight against Britannia. Isn't that why everyone's here?"

"I hope so," he said cryptically and looked down dolefully into his coffee.

"Why are _you_ here?" Light asked. It was the only reasonable response.

"Zero saved me. And I loved Japan," Ryuuzaki said and it seemed like the most normal thing he had said so far. His voice had even softened and lowered as he spoke, no longer in Ryuuzaki's usual unsettling monotone.

Light sighed. He had loved Japan too, and he swallowed, feeling partially responsible for Japan's downfall. While Britannia probably would have invaded no matter what, they _had_ used Kira as their excuse. His own father had endorsed the recruitment of Brittania officers into the Kira Investigation Squad.

"So did I. I mean, I still do, but…" Light trailed off, oddly unsure of how to continue with words so close to his heart. It was so rare that he ever spoke openly about the things he truly cared about. It made him feel unnaturally vulnerable.

Ryuuzaki looked at him, his large black eyes holding a subtle softness, like they could fade into a rich, gentle brown at any moment. Something that looked more like human empathy. "But it's not the same," he finished for Light.

Light looked away. "Of course not." He sighed. "But that's why we're here, right? To change it."

Ryuuzaki never stopped watching him. "Things don't ever return to how they were, Light-_kun ._ You should know that."

"Well, we can at least make them better," he replied, only a little defensively. Who was this Ryuuzaki to patronize him? He was Yagami Light, and practically a god. "_I_ can make things better."

Ryuuzaki smiled, and the image sent a small shiver up Light's spine. "I hope to catch you in the act, then."

Alarm bells went off in Light's mind. This conversation… was not was it seemed like on the surface. Ryuuzaki was… not what he seemed like on the surface. Underneath his shaggy hair, palely stretched skin, and sunken eyes was an unconventional, yet intelligent mind. Instinct led Light to proceed as if he was not making this connection, however he couldn't help a slight jab to his sense of reality.

"And I hope to catch you in yours," he answered firmly. He softened his speech with a friendly smile. "We're in this together after all."

"I suppose we are," Ryuuzaki mused thoughtfully.

Light ate some more chips while pretending to be comfortable in the silence. Thankfully, it was short as his phone buzzed from his pocket. He pulled it out, relieved as he saw his redheaded girlfriend's name on the screen. He flipped open his phone and read her short text. Was he done? Could he meet her near the entrance?

He stood up and smiled as if helplessly to Ryuuzaki. "Looks like I've gotta go already. But it was nice to meet you."

Ryuuzaki only nodded once, and sipped his sugary coffee. It was all Light needed to turn on his heel and leave the cafeteria.

**-L/L-**

Since Kallen had only met with him to say that she needed to make preparations for a mission and wouldn't be free for a while, Light had decided to make his own way home. He had returned to his school uniform and left the base discreetly, heading slowly back towards Ashford Academy.

He was nearby, in the high-end Britannian sector when a familiar girl rose from a bench and stood in his way. Her long green hair was hidden mostly under a hat, but there was no doubt that she was Lelouch's… _friend_ who Light had met in Lelouch's room a few weeks before. She had given him the ridiculously false name of C.C..

She had clearly been waiting for him.

"I'll be blunt with you, boy," she began as soon as Light stopped before her. Her large yellow eyes shifted to a point over his left shoulder. "It's not you I wanted to talk to."

Light's stomach dropped. There was a sense of utter certainty in him that he knew who she was talking about, but that was impossible. There was no way this C.C. girl could see a Death God, not the big black thing hovering over his left shoulder. Light had been too careful—he had only met her once, and that meeting had had nothing to do with the Death Note. Had she been following him? His mind whirled. But no, even if she had, there was no possible way for her to find out, unless Ryuk had done something purposefully. But that was even more unlikely because Ryuk was usually with Light and despite Ryuk being non-human, Light felt he could trust the Death God to at least tell the truth—that he was neither helping nor hindering Light.

So who was she talking about? If she _had_ followed him, then she might know he was a Black Knight. What if she was just looking for Zero? Or anyone at Ashford? What if she was looking for Lelouch?

With these more normal justifications in mind, Light relaxed slightly. There was no need to worry so much—he was simply paranoid after dodging his way back from the Black Knights' hideout. "Who is it that you wanted to talk to, then?"

"What are you?" she asked, clearly not aiming the question at Light. All his calming thoughts fled like sheep from a wolf.

Ryuk laughed, and drifted closer to the girl. "I might ask the same of you. I've never seen someone like you before—not even from my realm. You're very interesting."

"Why thank you," she answered prettily, tossing a lock of green hair over her shoulder. "I'm a witch."

Light couldn't believe the exchange going on in front of him. It was a level of surreal that even he hadn't witnessed before. This couldn't be happening—not to Light. _Who was she?_

Ryuk twisted to the side, his head staying on the same level as it had been. "A witch? Doesn't that mean you're a human who uses magic?"

C.C. smiled. "Something like that, yes. And you? Certainly you are the first of your kind that I've ever come across."

"I'm Ryuk, a Death God." Ryuk smiled in return, his teeth yellow and grotesque. Light wanted to punch him in the face or at least stuff it full of apples so the Death God couldn't talk anymore. He was giving away information that Light had been protecting for so long! "But if you're a human," Ryuk continued thoughtfully, "why can't you die?"

C.C. sucked in a breath of air and took a step back, clearly off guard. A shadow of fear flickered over her face, proving the truth of Ryuk's words. Oh, fuck, it shouldn't be true. Her voice came out in a low hiss. "How did you know that?"

Light's mind spun to a halt. This was… even worse….

Ryuk grinned, this time his smile less playful and more sinister. "Or is it that you're already dead?"

If either of those statements were true, Light was sorely fucked. Ryuk had revealed his identity and a connection to Light to someone who _could not be killed_. For even though Light had not spoken aloud to Ryuk, his lack of questioning and stupefied demeanor during the experience was probably enough. He gritted his teeth. Now was not the time to play dumb and pretend he was simply confused by her talking to the air. Now was the time to present his brilliance.

It was time to push forward and through the obstacle. She couldn't die. Neither could Ryuk. Light could, and to prevent it, he had to win this girl to his side. And he _had_ to prevent it. There was no one else who would be able to take up the Death Note and use it like Light would. No one else had the courage and ambition and intelligence to usher in a new world full of kindness and prosperity. Only Light had the fortitude and so only Light could do it, and thus, Light _must _survive. There was no one else who would be willing to give their all to the world the way Light was. There was no choice but to win over this girl.

This… friend of Lelouch. He took a deep breath through his nose, his shoulders lifting.

"I'm both and neither, Ryuk," she answered flatly. "I'm a witch."

Ryuk leaned back. "I don't think I get it." He paused, and Light used the moment to step in effortlessly. He could not fail.

"Miss C.C., if I had known you could see Ryuk, I would have introduced the two of you sooner," Light said in a somewhat gentlemanly fashion, but there was still a firmness in his voice that couldn't be mistaken. "Normally, people can't see him."

C.C. turned and held Light's gaze. "As your friend made clear, I am obviously not normal. …But what is it that makes _you _so special that you can see him?"

There! He could do this—even if Ryuk was a Death God, even if she was immortal. Light's own worthiness would shine through, and he would stand with them on equal footing—no, he would stand above them. Light couldn't help but let a smile spread onto his face, his words low and dangerously arrogant as he leaned in closer. "How could you possibly think I'm average?"

For a moment, C.C. held his eyes and he could tell he was weighing him cautiously. He didn't lose his smile nor look away, letting her see his indisputable confidence. Then she laughed loudly, her rich peals making several passersby give her curious glances. "Oh, you're funny, boy," she said between chuckles. "Is that how you've managed to stay alive? Even with a Death God hanging around you?"

Light felt the atmosphere relax a little, but not enough to feel comfortable. She was friendly, but not respectful towards him yet. He shrugged, trying to make it as smooth as possible and give off a nonchalant attitude as if he were bored with Ryuk. "I suppose. Not that Ryuk does much."

_I am the one who does everything,_ Light thought vehemently.

"Oh? So what do Death Gods actually do?"

Ryuk cut in to supply the answer himself, only making Light angrier. "We kill humans. The life they have left is given to us."

_Shut up, Ryuk._ The Death God was supposed to be a simply bystander and not involve himself in Light's affairs like this.

"And how do you kill humans?" C.C. asked, missing Light's malevolent eyes directed at the Death God. She was unsettlingly easygoing about the topic, but the tension in Light's body had risen again. If Ryuk told her about the Death Note, there would be no way she wouldn't guess he was Kira. And then… everything might be finished. He held his breath, trapped in a bind—if he stopped Ryuk, then C.C. would know he was hiding something, but if he didn't, Ryuk could provide a woman immune to his power with the information to kill him. His heart pounded in his ears, reminding him of his own mortality and how close death always was.

"In any way we want," Ryuk answered lazily. "It can get pretty boring actually."

Light breathed a small sigh of relief as C.C. nodded as if she understood. Even though Ryuk had not mentioned the Death Note, Light was not out of danger yet and he was still extremely wary of her. Did she think killing was boring? Was she some kind of monstrous killer herself? That would be… difficult to deal with. An immortal criminal. He reined in his urge to shudder. What kind of terrible world would result from that? How would he be able to overcome that kind of challenge? He had to stop this conversation from continuing. He didn't need this woman as an opponent.

"It's probably best not to encourage him, C.C.," Light interjected, aiming for a dry tone to cover up his literally dry mouth. "Some of us are still capable of dying."

The truth was that if Ryuk found C.C. more interesting than Light… there would be no reason for Ryuk to keep Light around. Unfortunately, that was the price he paid for making the world a better place. Sometimes becoming a great hero meant doing something terrible to achieve something greater than before—even if it is striking a death bargain with a god. Even if it meant no one would recognize his own part in creating a new, brighter world. Light just had to make sure that the ends really justified the means before he died.

"Ah, so there must be something else that makes you special," C.C. purred, her honest laugh from before just beneath her smile. "I guess I'll have to wait until next time to figure it out though. You have a party to get to, don't you?"

Ryuk butted in excitedly. "We're going to a party, Light?"

Light frowned. "Not that I'm aware of."

C.C. smiled mysteriously. "Be sure to have fun for me since I can't go." Her voice rose in pitch almost petulantly, her lips forming a bit of a pout. "And I hear there's pizza…."

She twirled on her feet so that her back was completely open to him. She had such slender shoulders, and looked incredibly vulnerable as her hair floated back down to her back. She lifted a delicate hand to wave as she sauntered off. Just judging by her outward form and demeanor at the moment, she couldn't have been more than sixteen years old. Barely more than a child.

She was almost as deceiving in appearances as Light.

**-L/L-**

**

* * *

**

_Yay! See, I told you guys I'd have another chapter up soon. :P As always, let me know what you readers thought about it. I really, really enjoy any and all comments I receive from everyone. I'm sorry I didn't get to reply back to all the reviews from the last chapter like I normally try to do-I wanted to get this one up as soon as possible to make up for my lapse year. A lot of you mentioned that Chess Match is still as good as it was then and I hope that continues to be the case._

_Until next chapter,_

_anja-chan  
_


	11. Chapter 11

**The Chess Match**

**11**

**-L/L-**

The witch had been right. Did she have premonitions as well as being immortal? He frowned, only to remember that the girl might live at least part time at the school… so she had probably just come from there. Light had arrived back at Ashford Academy just when what seemed like every student was congregating in the Student Council buildings. It was, of course, the hasty yet lavish Suzaku's Promotion to Knighthood Party, sponsored by Nunnally Lamperouge.

As a social function in which someone would undoubtedly spike the punch, Light could not afford to miss the opportunity. Of course, he never touched alcohol himself, but hard drinks meant loose tongues. And he could really use some information, especially if it seemed like the giver had a chance of not even remembering the deed.

The doors were open, and all the small round party tables he had seen neatly displayed before were getting good use. Several tablecloths were already stained with what looked to be orange Fanta. It seemed the party was in full swing already, with nearly a hundred students already crowded into the room, milling around with drinks and slices of pizza and cake. Music poured from somewhere behind them, a soft noise under the roar of many inside voices.

Light realized it was his first truly Britannian party. Ironic that it was for a Japanese boy. Taking a deep breath and setting his face to a pleasant smile, he waded into the mess, getting a drink to have something to hold and look natural—he wasn't planning on drinking it.

It was then that he noticed Kallen's red hair bobbing amongst the crowd. A slight frown creased his brow. What was she doing here already? Granted, he had taken a long route home and held a disturbing conversation with Ryuk and C.C., but hadn't Kallen been busy with Black Knight work? Wasn't that why she couldn't go home with him? (Although, on second thought, it was a _very_ good thing she hadn't walked back with him since he had run into the green-haired witch.)

Smoothing his features into one of a guy sneaking up playfully on his girlfriend, Light did just that. Kallen seemed utterly focused on something else, the line of her body emanating strength that was unusual for her in while wearing her school uniform. Something was up. She was clutching her handbag like it was going to escape if she didn't strangle it first. As she made her way towards the center of the room, she bumped into people without even saying sorry in her diminutive actress voice. This was not simply bad, this was dangerous. Kallen was in the process of blowing her cover sky high.

Which of course, would make Light look utterly untrustworthy and he'd be back before square one.

"Kallen!" he shouted, trying to get her attention. She didn't seem to hear him, and as he hurried toward her, he finally saw what she was so intent on. Her blue eyes never wavered from Suzaku, the boy standing casually in an open circle of well-wishers and friends.

_Shit_. She meant to kill Suzaku. It was as obvious as it was dumb. How could Kallen be that _stupid_? She had been cleverly hiding her double life for years, worked her way to be a trusted aide to Zero, and had even impressed Light with her skills. So why was she throwing it all away?

There was no way the mastermind Zero would have ordered this. If Kallen were really so important to the Black Knights, she would not be the one doing the hit on Suzaku; she was too valuable. And a quiet assassination wasn't Zero's style. He was too flashy, too much a propaganda machine, and far too smart to kill someone who was once Japanese.

Not only that, but Light didn't want Suzaku killed. The boy was a hopeful idealist, law-abiding citizen, and even if a bit stupid, it wasn't his fault he was trying to assimilate into the Britannian world as best he could. Weren't they all?

He called Kallen's name again, twisting through the crowd faster. He was gaining on her, realized he would make it in time, and became more careful not to spill his drink. Then she stopped, still yards away from her target.

Lelouch had taken her wrist, startling the girl into stopping. Where had he come from? Light didn't stop moving and arrived on her other side just in time to hear Lelouch speaking.

"Shirley wants your help," the Britiannian was saying. He didn't look away from Kallen, even though Light knew Lelouch would be able to see him in his peripheral vision.

Kallen, however, jerked her arm away. She looked straight back at Lelouch's friendly smile, but her voice was low and had lost the calm that came from her schoolgirl persona, "Sorry, I'm in the middle of something."

Lelouch didn't miss a beat, but he didn't make it sound like an interrogation. Just friendly. "And what would that something be?"

Light took his cue. He put a firm hand around Kallen's arm, just above her elbow. She whipped her head to stare at him, eyes wide until she registered it was Light's face. There was no way Lelouch would have failed to notice Kallen's odd behavior. He smiled over her to Lelouch. "We just wanted to congratulate Suzaku first. I'm sure Kallen wouldn't might helping her friend out afterwards. We only just got here."

"Oh, that's fine. I only just arrived myself," Lelouch replied easily and Light got the distinct impression that Lelouch was acting too. There was a strange hierarchy of it going on here. "Let's all go together."

Light nodded, but he could feel Kallen's muscles were still tense and rigid. She certainly had more muscle than most would give her credit for too. But she needed to control herself. Was Lelouch playing along to simply avoid a scene? Could Kallen tell Lelouch had noticed? Or was he the only one with all the puzzle pieces here? He leaned down to her ear and whispered, knowing it was forgivable only because of their relationship status.

"Don't be so obvious or you'll get us both killed." It was the faintest of whispers into her hair. No one would be able to read his lips even if they had tried. He felt her freeze under his hand.

And then he guided her forward. Lelouch glided along on Kallen's other side. They looked like escorts and Light was even more positive that Lelouch was lending a helping hand of sorts. It hadn't been the neatest of lies, and if anyone could pick up on hidden intents, it was certainly Lelouch. But there was no way he would suspect Kallen of having the motive and capability for murder. That was too far-fetched. What was Lelouch thinking?

Suzaku turned as the three approached, giving them all a bright smile. Lelouch spoke first, a little sheepishly. "Sorry I'm late."

"Not at all," Suzaku returned. He looked like he wanted to give Lelouch a hug, but felt awkward about it in front of so many people. That, and Lelouch didn't seem interested in the gesture. "I'm glad you could make it."

Kallen tried to remove Light's grip on her surreptitiously, but Light didn't let go. She was not allowed to leave now or it would spoil his lie even further. Since he had tied himself to Kallen, she needed to learn how to behave appropriately. He hoped she was bright enough to follow his lead and learn from him. Right now, he could feel her angry heat through one hand.

He gave Suzaku a nod and spoke seriously. "Congratulations, Suzaku. You're giving the rest of us Honorary Britannians hope for the future."

Kallen relaxed suddenly and he could see Lelouch not quite hide a smile. Inside, Light was laughing. Both Kallen and Lelouch must know he was lying through his perfect teeth and yet neither gave him away. He had them wrapped around his fingers, each keeping their secrets from everyone but him. After learning the truth about Lelouch's parentage, Light knew Lelouch wouldn't touch him for fear of any harm reaching Nunnally. And Kallen, well, she trusted Light and just might understand that he had the makings of a much better spy than herself.

Suzaku, for his part, just grinned with a bit of embarrassment. "Thanks, Light.

Kallen nodded, perhaps unable to speak just yet. Light gave her arm a gentle squeeze, then let go. It was just enough encouragement. "Great job, Suzaku," Kallen congratulated, her gentle eyes downcast and voice demure.

Perfect. She was learning.

Suzaku and Lelouch hadn't seemed to notice, the former turning to the latter to speak. "Oh yeah, what was it that you wanted to talk about? You said it was important."

Lelouch looked a bit like he'd been struck by Rivalz's sidecar. "Oh…" he began, then looked down and left, avoiding eye contact, his voice rich with melancholy, "that… doesn't matter anymore."

A thrill went down Light's spine. Where had this gem suddenly come from? That was a lot of emotion for Lelouch to share, so whatever it was, it surely mattered a lot to Lelouch still. Even if Suzaku noticed, he was too polite to say anything. There was still something going on between them that Light hadn't figured out yet. Despite the way Lelouch often treated Suzaku, it was perhaps… an attempt to keep him at arm's length for a reason. Which could only mean they had been much, much closer at another time. But when?

Kallen tugged on his arm, pulling him out of his thoughts. Lelouch was always too intriguing; so many sides. He turned to Kallen. "Light," she said quietly, looking up, "Let's ditch this par—"

"Soo sorry~," a strange voice trilled across the room and everyone hushed in the voice's wake. The surprised students looked towards the inner doorway, at a tall, very thin man in a lab coat. The shy girl from the Student Council, Nina, stood next to him, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Together, they looked almost like exotic birds: the man with his stork-like complexion and strange, almost dancing movements and the girl with the presence of mind of a scared ostrich, ready to throw her head into a hole in the ground to hide.

The man continued, his voice echoing with strange high notes like he was permanently stuck in puberty. "We've still got work to do, Suzaku."

Light glanced sideways to see Suzaku's face transform from surprise into resignation. "Oh, right," the boy replied.

"Who's that?" Lelouch asked, without taking his curious eyes off the man.

"My boss," Suzaku answered sheepishly. He seemed embarrassed to admit it, and it was easy to see why, considering the man's demeanor.

Kallen tugged on his arm again and Light decided that if Suzaku was leaving, it was fine for him to disappear as well. He nodded and let Kallen lead him away while the rest of the student body twittered with the strange man's announcement of being not only a count, but also engaged to Milly.

It was just as they were leaving when he heard that Suzaku would be mobilizing to aide Princess Euphemia in greeting another diplomat. And Light couldn't resist taking a long look back over his shoulder, not to the Lancelot pilot, the center of attention, but to the self-exiled prince, the brilliant man blending into the mediocre crowd.

Lelouch's face was alive with dark emotion, some mix of bitter loathing and deep-seated sorrow. He was glaring forward, under his delicate brows, his eyes transfixed by the newly Knighted and his boss. If he didn't know better, Light would have guessed that Lelouch were ready to kill Suzaku himself.

With a smile, Light looked back to Kallen and they fled into the darkening day.

They didn't stop their quick walking until they reached a secluded area of the campus grounds. They entered a white gazebo, morning glories twining around the building, and Kallen immediately sat down, dropping her pretenses. She suddenly looked like she had just awoken from a nightmare. Her breaths came quickly.

Light continued standing and waited a moment for her to calm down. Despite being a terrorist, Kallen didn't act as if she had killed before if this was how she reacted to almost killing someone. She wasn't shaking, which was good, but she didn't seem to be in a solid mental state.

"Kallen," he started gently. She looked up at him and Light couldn't tell whether she was angry or scared. He changed tactics, and crouched down in front of her knees, putting a hand on hers. "Are you alright?"

It seemed to snap her out of it. "Of course I'm alright," she bit off, looking away and taking her hand back. She looked him square in the eye. "Do you have any idea what you were doing?"

Light moved back, standing to give her some space and him some elevation. He looked down, and tried not to let himself scoff overly. "Do you?"

She was furious now, and Light could see she was ready for a fight. All that adrenaline and no place to go. But Light could see his opening; a fight done the right way would lead to new respect for him and she would be more pliable and willing to help him.

"I had been _told_ to do it! By you know who! And you don't even know what I was doing!" Kallen rose to her feet, advancing a step and hissing at Light. "You stopped me from completing my mission, Light!"

"And it's a good thing I did. Who told you to kill Suzaku Kururugi?" His voice was level, telling her he knew exactly what she was up to. "I don't believe it came from our masked friend himself."

"Wha- What? Light, I don't believe you would call into question the- the chain of command. You, why you just got in on it! You don't know what you're talking about," Kallen retorted, but the hint of doubt was in her eyes. Her answer neatly proved that it was not, in fact, Zero who had told her to assassinate Suzaku.

"Tell me, Kallen," Light asked, keeping his voice calm and steady. "You know you can trust me."

"…I- I don't know if I should, Light. It's not about you, it's… I mean, it might be classified or something." The fire was leaving her argument, and Light could tell she was already swayed. Just a little more of a push, something she could put faith in.

"Kallen," he said, using a tone of logic, "if it were classified, they would have made sure to tell you it was classified. Also, I… think very highly of Zero. I doubt he would stoop to assassination. Don't you think so too?"

He could see the pain in her eyes as she nodded. She was clearly at war with herself and wanted desperately to trust him.

"So whoever told you to kill Suzaku was doing it against Zero's orders. You're Zero's ace. If he had wanted you to do it, he would have told you himself."

Kallen suddenly turned and punched a supporting pillar of the gazebo. Light flinched, the act of violence quite sudden. Kallen's voice punctuated the new night air. "That lying shit! I _knew _there was something awful about him!"

She turned back to Light, a fire burning in her eyes, but this time, it wasn't aimed at him. He wondered if her hand was okay—the wood hadn't shattered at least. "His name is Deithard Reid. He's in charge of security and intelligence."

Light made a face. "His name… is he half Britannian?"

Kallen matched and then raised his disgusted look. "No, he's fully one of them. He used to work for the Governor's propaganda campaign or something. No one really likes him, but Zero thinks he's useful."

Light appeared to consider it for a moment. "Kallen, if you have a way to get in touch with Zero, you should. He needs to know what happened… or, almost happened. If this guy is trying to do things behind Zero's back, then he needs to be stopped."

Kallen nodded, all business and energy. "I don't, but I can call the second-in-command and he can tell Zero." She pulled out her phone, dialed, and then stopped just before pressing 'call.' "Um, Light?"

She was suddenly very pretty and vulnerable. Or maybe it was her vulnerability that made her seem more attractive. A slight blush crept onto her cheeks. He just looked attentively at her.

"Thank you."

**-L/L-**

Mobilizing to meet someone? Who was important enough to require Euphemia's presence and retinue? And at such a location? Anyone in the royal family would probably come straight to the Tokyo Settlement and meet with Cornelia. Lower class nobles would not be met with such pomp or really, they would not be met at all. So it was likely to be someone in between. A very high ranking noble, perhaps a new Area 11 Governor-in-Training to take over when Cornelia was called away to whatever Area she wanted to crush.

Certainly, Cornelia would never leave Euphemia in charge. That girl had her head in the clouds, living a dream-like existence and believing everyone was bursting with wholesome goodness and happy promise. Euphie was most likely an unknowing, and thus perfect royal puppet, and whoever was coming probably thought it was an honor to be ushered in by the third princess.

He went over a few details in his head while glancing over depth maps and nearby islands. He needed to know what his next chessboard would look like. And where he planned to finally get the checkmate he was so desperately needing.

The door opened, then closed. With no knock and quiet footsteps, Lelouch knew it was C.C. without looking around. There was the soft thud of one boot, followed by the other. The bed springs sounded next, sheets and comforter sliding against each other. Lelouch put a few locations on the map with a marker, giving them Greek letters for names. They didn't need to rush with this plan, except for the initial surprise. Once they controlled the small base, reinforcements would take at least an hour to arrive if they were notified immediately. Since one of their first targets was the radio tower, they might be able to extend that time frame to several hours even. It should be more than enough time to capture his new, prized game piece.

He turned in his swivel chair to face the bed. C.C. was lounging, her long hair over the pillows and Cheese-kun tucked under one arm. She looked at him for a long moment with her yellow eyes, and he sensed that she was gauging his mood.

"I'm fine, get it over with," Lelouch replied to her unspoken question. He glanced at the clock. "We only have twenty minutes before we should head out. I want to know what you learned before that."

There was a long pause, C.C.'s eyes still watching his every move carefully. "Very well," she stated finally, stretching up into a sitting position. "Light knows the monster follows him. They seem to get along well."

Lelouch bit his lip. This was not what he expected. He had convinced C.C. to see if there was a way to learn more about the monster, but he had counted on Light not being aware of its existence. If Light knew it was there and it was truly as hideously ugly as C.C. had made it sound, then… then he was simply an utterly marvelous actor.

"That's not all, Lelouch," C.C. continued, sounding a bit weary. "He calls himself a Death God. His name is Ryuk. If he's telling the truth, Death Gods kill humans to steal the life they have left. He could tell I'm immortal."

Lelouch blinked. This was… this was nearly too much.

He was used to strangeness; if not from the day he was born into the royal family, then surely when he met C.C. for the first time. He had seen people die, some return to life, fought against magic powered by the Geass and used it frequently himself.

But this was different. If there were Death Gods wandering the world, invisible to most mankind, it shifted his entire worldview. He wasn't sure what he believed in—God, the afterlife, Hell?—but he felt like it was okay to put off. There was no way to know until he died anyway, so what was the point in worrying about it? It wouldn't change how he lived his life.

And then it all clicked into place. A network of invisible creatures who could kill anyone they chose, completely undetected. They left no evidence as they could not be tracked. They killed because they had too. _This_ was Kira.

And Light was in on it. He was in deep. He was, in fact, probably in league with them. A part of Kira. That would explain his arrogance and smugness. If he could literally see what others could not, of course Light, the genius from a young age, would believe he was the most important person on the planet. Even his act of being a high schooler—because it was an act just as much as Lelouch's own school life—couldn't hide his superiority complex. Light thought he was the best thing since the wheel had been invented and the only human with the right to judge others alongside the Gods.

While he'd never thought of Light as a killer, the way he had handled Kallen's awkwardly mistaken attempt on Suzaku's life made it clear. Light had not made a scene, not gotten angry, and there was not even the register of surprise that his girlfriend was suddenly intent on murder. He had taken control of the situation nearly as smoothly as Lelouch had, and then proceeded to lie his way through the next five minutes of conversation. All while a Death God was watching him.

A shudder passed through Lelouch. He focused suddenly on C.C., her eyes meeting his with no expression. He needed an answer from her, even though he knew what it must be. "You said they seemed like friends. Did they act like equals? If you were to say one was in control, one held the power, who would that be?"

C.C. looked away and sighed. "You don't need me to tell you. We both know Light would never let anyone else take control. He thinks he's the most superior being on the planet." She turned and looked Lelouch squarely in the eye. "He's even more arrogant than you are."

She said it with a straight face so Lelouch couldn't tell if she were teasing or trying to prove a point. He sighed, suddenly frustrated.

"C.C., I've just let Kira, or the man who controls Kira, meet Nunnally, discover my true identity, and join the Black Knights. What… what do I do?" An overwhelming urge to just stop tugged at him. He looked down and cradled his head in his hands. Kira's power was one he couldn't fight. He couldn't use his Geass on something he couldn't see. He needed to be sure that the Death God would be on his side and not kill him or take the offensive route and kill the creature first, if it were at all possible. And with Light such a threat in every aspect of his life, Lelouch wasn't sure what the safest way to use the Geass on Light would be. Or even what his goal was. To get Light's power as a Kira on his side? To have him forget Lelouch's and Nunnally's real names? To force him to stop killing? To have Light kill himself?

…The last thought was extremely appealing, even it were dark. But then what if the Death God wanted revenge? Lelouch would be powerless against it and everything would be lost. He needed to find the best way to ensure his survival. What _didn't_ Light know?

Ah, yes. The answer was right in front of him. A smile crept over his face and he lifted his head from his hands. Everything would be fine. C.C. looked sideways at him, her brow furrowed. Lelouch just continued to smile, his mind fine-tuning the details. He glanced at the clock; it was time to go.

Grabbing his maps and placing them into his briefcase, Lelouch turned to watch C.C. put on her boots.

"You'll need to stay in my office during the entire mission, you know. We can't have Light seeing you with the Knights." Despite his words of caution, Lelouch felt a ball of excitement erupt in his stomach. He was taking action today, something that would benefit all aspects of his life.

If everything went exactly as planned, he could hope to walk in with one Japanese classmate and leave with another.

**-L/L-**

L was annoyed.

He didn't like the training workouts and he didn't care for the food. He missed his computer and his favorite chair. He intensely disliked the smell of the locker room. He missed his private, always locked room. He hated the squeaking of the mattress springs on the bunk bed above him. He missed Watari and all the orphan children. He hadn't connected with any of the other recruits (probably because he wasn't trying that hard to do so, but still). He even missed the donuts from the bakery down the street from Wammy's. Staying with the Black Knights was beginning to look like a miscalculation if he ever made mistakes.

There also seemed like there was no room for advancement as long as he continued to give a lackluster performance in the training drills. He could do better, but he had quickly learned that once he did, they'd start handing him real guns and expect him to march onto the battlefield.

And not only was he unfamiliar with marching to the beat of another's drum, the battlefield was not a good place for him. He hadn't actually signed up to help fight the war. He was looking for Kira, and any slip of Zero's mask.

L knew it was risky to reveal his true strength, but he was tired of being there. Nothing would change if he didn't change it himself. It had been nearly a month, and in between workouts, he was still stuck performing small tasks for Tamaki like the majority of the raw recruits. Only a few had been promoted to other positions, all those ones with guns.

It was time for Rue Ryuuzaki to do the same. He needed to catch Zero's attention for doing something clever, and then he would be carefully protected as a strong asset and let in on some more classified information. He had seen that Zero made decisions based on merit—even if some of the lower ranked members used seniority or looks or physical strength—so L simply had to prove his worth. In a way that Zero would notice.

He thought through his list of skills. Strategy would be useful, but it would take a long time to convince anyone he was very good at it. Besides, Zero was known for tactics and even had the famous Toudou for help. Machinery mechanics would also work, but he didn't want to do any heavy lifting and often the mechanics were replacing steel coverings and massive iron bolts. Programming, however, and the linked world of hacking could be _very_ useful. And there was no hard menial labor involved. He might even get his own computer. That line of work might also grant him a higher security clearance faster. If he worked the right angles, he might even be able to get himself in charge of securing the important files himself. So naturally, he would have access to everything.

He smiled his quirky little smile and headed toward the simulation machines. That would likely be a good place to start. Soon, he would be Ryuuzaki the computer whiz and if Zero were smart, he'd 'allow' Ryuuzaki to monitor the database rather than worry that he might hack his way in.

Because now that he'd chosen another aspect to his persona, L found it quite difficult to restrain himself. He could probably sneak in and gain access to Zero's computer. Everyone knew he came and went like the wind… which meant L had no way of knowing when Zero would return and there was always C.C., the yellow-eyed not-what-she-seemed woman. He wasn't sure if she travelled with Zero always or locked herself in his room when he was out.

L sighed. It was best to stick with the plan and work his way up truthfully.

Or, at least as truthfully as a spying detective could. He grinned. This was why he liked his job.

**-L/L-**

* * *

****_Oh my sweet Lancelot, I posted.  
_

_No, really, it's kinda been a long time (in which 'kinda' actually means 'forever,' especially to those of you who have been here since chapter one). Thanks to those of you still faithfully reading after, yes, all these years and also to those newer to the story. Keep those reviews coming as I quit my job and have more free time to read them at my new one, lol. This is also the reason I had time to write this chapter in the first place. (No, I don't write while at work, this new job is only part-time so I can spend more of it being a nerd like I was back in college. Yay. Days off.)  
_

_So, pat yourselves on the back for waiting this long and as always, I hope you enjoyed it.  
_

_Special thanks to Tobi Tortue who beta-ed this quickly over iChat with me so I could post tonight!  
_


	12. Chapter 12

**The Chess Match**

**12**

**-L/L-**

"You do _not_ go against my orders like that. Ever." Lelouch was furious, the heat from his anger forming fog-patches on the inside of his helmet. His voice came in clipped phrases, and he found it difficult to not reach over the table with his handgun to pistol whip the man across the face. He turned once more in his pacing walk. "Do you understand? Next time, the consequences will be swift and severe, and you will not survive whatever Tamaki wants to do to someone I call a traitor. Is this clear, _Diethard_?"

The man in question swallowed thickly, his adam's apple bobbing like a viscous tumor. He had already gone from thoughtful explanation as if he could convince Zero he was correct in his actions to rushed apologies while repeating how much he respected Zero as he feared for his life to simple exhaustion. For now, Diethard Ried was broken and manageable again. Lelouch wasn't sure how long it would last, but at least for this next mission, the Britannian propaganda-maker was under Zero's thumb. He would have much rather approached the situation quietly and spoken with Diethard in secret, but since Ohgi had been the one to call him, the information was probably all among the upper ranks and retribution needed to be evidenced.

"I made you an official in the Black Knights because I believed that you were capable of following my orders despite your previous defection and your heritage," Lelouch's voice was softer now, almost coaxing. Annoyingly, he also had to play good cop to his own bad cop. "But I can just as easily take that away and the whole of the Order would support that precisely _because_ of the things I overlooked. I base this organization on merit—not everyone agrees with that—so you had better show your worth as the Chief Intelligence Commissioner and prove that I was not wrong in promoting you."

Diethard nodded, his lock of bangs bobbing as he hung his head dolefully.

Lelouch glanced at the clock. He'd spent perhaps too much time reprimanding Diethard; the submarine would be close to the island now. Toudou would be looking for him on the bridge. Without waiting for further acknowledgement from the man slouching defeated in the chair, Zero exited the room.

Kallen was waiting for him just outside the door. This was to be expected; Ohgi had probably told her that Zero would be dealing with Diethard's punishment. However, he did not expect Light to be with her. He tilted his mask towards her, so it was obvious he was addressing the captain of Unit Zero.

"I am going to the bridge. Walk with me if you like."

Kallen nodded, falling into step next to him. Light followed, a strangely submissive distance behind for the high schooler. "Zero… I… I'm really sorry."

Lelouch didn't pause his steps. "For what?"

His question seemed to catch her off guard. "I-I nearly killed Kururugi. Even though it wasn't an order from you. I… I'll take any punishment you see fit."

"Kallen." Lelouch finally stopped, and turned his whole body to face her. "You didn't kill him. Therefore, no punishment. The Black Knights are not so cruel as to punish where one is not at fault. We have enough pain from the Britannian army and repression from the citizens who took Japan from us. In my eyes, you have done nothing wrong—in fact, you were essential to finding out that someone was going behind my back. For that, I should thank you instead."

Lelouch waited to see how Kallen would deal with this information, and thanked his own genius once again when he had made the mask impenetrable from the outside. He was actually more interested in how Light would react. He had seen Light try to stop Kallen the night of the party. There was no way that Light would be squeamish about death in front of him considering his constant companion, so he wouldn't have stopped Kallen just to prevent bloodshed. Although Lelouch didn't like to admit it, Light might have already known Zero well enough to understand that he wouldn't order Suzaku's assassination, although he also might have not wanted Kallen to be immediately captured and his own self questioned. He must have known Zero wouldn't let Kallen be sacrificed so easily. So, would he let Kallen take all the glory now for foiling the assassination?

Kallen blinked, clearly thrown by the turnaround. "Well, I… you shouldn't thank me, Zero. I really was about to kill Kururugi last night, but…" she swallowed, and then stepped back, gesturing to the man behind her, "…Light helped me figure it out. If anyone, you should be thanking him."

"Oh?" Lelouch let the word hang in the air, giving Light the opportunity to claim or deny it.

"It was nothing, Zero." Light said it effortlessly, and if Lelouch didn't know the other boy well enough, he might have thought his words meant he felt like he wasn't owed any thanks for the job. Since Lelouch did, however, he could tell it really meant that to Light, it _was_ nothing. Any normal high schooler unfamiliar with Zero would likely stammer and look down. It was in the corner of his mouth, the barest hint of a smile, along with how easily the confident words flowed from his lips. If Lelouch hadn't spent so much time observing Light, there was no way he would have caught it. Light clearly thought his abilities were far greater than anyone else's.

Which is where Lelouch would catch him.

"Light, is it?" he asked, playing the game. "Why don't you come with Kallen and me to the bridge then. If Kallen thinks this highly of you, then I'm sure I can find something more suitable to a man of your merits."

As he turned back towards the bridge, he saw Light's split-second and nearly invisible reaction to the news. Those almond eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second, the ghost of a smile tightening his lips. It was somehow terrifying, especially as Kallen's response was so normal—her chest puffed up with pride and happiness and her eyes went wide with excitement. Lelouch completed his turn and with his back fully to Light, he fought back a shudder. Especially with a creepy look like that, Lelouch didn't like Light to be out of sight.

After several hallways and turns, Lelouch arrived at the control room of the submarine. Toudou was already there, discussing something with Ohgi who was always to stay at the helm when Zero left the room. The two Japanese men turned to face the new arrivals. Rakshad looked up from her bench-seat-turned-lounge, a thin trail of smoke echoing from her mouth. Within moments, the upper echelons of his army were spread out before him in a line.

"Zero," Ohgi commenced, "We're about ten kilometers from Shikinejima."

"Right on schedule," Lelough replied, letting the smile show in his voice. "I have discussed with each of you your specific goals for the day, but nothing more. Let me explain further then. Euphemia is going to that island to greet a nobleman from the mainland later today. Suzaku Kururugi, whom I gather seems to be a larger problem to some of the Black Knights than I anticipated,"—this gathered an ill laugh from Toudou who must have just been informed of Diethard's disobedience—"should be with her. Because they are so far away from the mainland, they will be effectively cut-off and unable to receive support for several hours. This makes for an excellent opportunity. Our mission objective is to capture both Suzaku Kururugi and the Lancelot. We will win this battle and take them fair and square."

Toudou nodded sagely, seemingly pleased with the fairness of the battle. Rakshad stretched as if sleepy, but Lelouch was beginning to read her well enough to know she was looking forward to capturing new machinery. Her eyes had lit up when he had mentioned the Lancelot. Ohgi saluted, and then turned back to the submarine monitors.

Zero stepped over to one of the side panels where the remaining Holy Blades were waiting to be called down to the hangar, "Kagesaki," Zero began, addressing the Unit Three captain, "I want you to start training Light here as a pilot. He might be new, but he comes with a strong recommendation from Kallen. Unit Three doesn't have a very difficult plan today as we are not expecting reinforcements after the initial breach, so if he could tag along as far as it's safe to do so, I believe he would learn a lot faster through practical means. I would like him to be ready for combat as soon as possible… we are getting a new unit that is attuned to someone roughly his size…."

Kagesaki nodded to Zero, then sized up Light with a half-smile. Kallen gasped from behind Zero, and he knew she couldn't believe how lucky Light was to get to train as a pilot. No doubt she was thinking how great it would be to fight alongside him.

Inside his helmet, Lelouch couldn't help his smile. This would be the chess game that Light must lose. The real battlefield was where Lelouch excelled beyond mere games, where he held absolute control, and where Light would fall. Not today, unless Lelouch got very lucky, but it would be only a matter of time before Light would be in the line of fire. This Kira would be gone from the list of Lelouch's worries, and Nunnally would be safe again. He didn't like to think too closely about killing off one of his classmates—even Light—but it was necessary to secure Nunnally's future. Her happiness. He was still carnage incarnate and must press on.

_Check_.

**-L/L-**

But how did it come to this? He heard a scream—was it Kallen?—followed by a man's shout and a roar growing in his ears, but disregarded them all. The only thing that mattered was that Suzaku was preparing to die.

"You're going to die with me! Do you really want that?!" It was impossible. After all he'd been through; after all _they'd _survived… was it really going to end this way? When he was ten, he had thought that he, Suzaku, and Nunnally would all die together when the Britannian invasion began. When the bombs fell. He'd been angry then, thinking that he wouldn't get revenge on his murderous father. But now…now, what would Nunnally do without him? And Suzaku wouldn't be there to protect her either. Suzaku would be….

The truth seemed to register on Suzaku's face for a moment as his green eyes widened. The air was completely still, except for the sound of Suzaku's breath fast and shallow. The Britannian army communication link crackled again. "—rugi, your death… …not in vain… …opportunity to kill Zero! You'll be… …forever!..."

"Shut up!" Lelouch shouted, unable to contain himself. The damned radio was only making Suzaku lose his self-reason. It was like a frightening mantra that could shut off emotions. Suzaku's eyes narrowed again, the gun in his hand steady once more. Lelouch couldn't take it. He didn't want to, but….

"A soldier does his duty." Suzaku's voice was cold. It barely sounded like him and made Lelouch all the more angry.

"That must be nice! Having someone else make all the decisions for you!" How on earth could Suzaku be so calm in the face of his—_their_—death! Didn't he know how much was at stake here? Didn't he know he was _important_? "Don't you think for yourself?!"

"Of course!" Suzaku retorted, finally catching some of his fire again. "I decided this for myself—!"

A shadow swallowed the light. It was too slow to be the missiles. It was like an enormous cloud, but stuck deep as he was inside the cockpit, Lelouch couldn't see what it was. Suzaku's eyes slowly roamed up the ceiling and then into the sky. The slight 'o' of Suzaku's mouth made it clear to Lelouch that no matter what shape it took, it was Death above them.

"Suzaku!" He let slip before he could help himself. Not Kururugi. Suzaku. His friend. "You're going to die!"

The brown head whipped back down to face Lelouch's mask, anger and terror etched in his face. "That's better than breaking the rules!"

The ground trembled, people screamed, and even the air inside the cockpit seemed charged with an electric hum. He had no choice… he didn't want to… Suzaku was his friend… but… time was running out… Suzaku… he had to do _something_….

"You _idiot_!" Lelouch shouted, activating the eyehole on his helmet. Suzaku's eyes widened in only surprise, not fear, and for a split-second, his green eyes looked directly into his unburdened purple one. And then….

"Live on!"

Armageddon rained down and the earth swallowed them whole.

**-L/L-**

Wet sand clung to his uniform and there was something heavy wrapped around his middle. Light had never felt so disoriented in his life. His ears were ringing. He wasn't sure if he could move… or whether he should. The heaviness could be something broken….

Then he heard the rasping laugh and knew he was definitely going to live. He groaned; Ryuk laughing was not helping his mood.

Light opened his eyes, and then squinted them against the harsh sun. He pulled his head up with difficulty and blinked slowly until his eyes adjusted. Even that small movement demonstrated how his muscles ached from a bone-deep exhaustion. He looked down at the rest of his body.

A large piece of kelp was twisted around his stomach. The tail end trailed into the water that played about his feet, gently sloshing his shoes. That would explain the heaviness, as the long-leafed seaweed was still dense with water, but it had probably helped keep him buoyant. With his muscle density, he didn't float horribly well on his own.

Kept alive by kelp. It could have been much worse.

Light gently eased himself up, trying to gain his bearings and judge whether he was injured. Incredibly, as his disorientation wore away, he found that with the exception of a few scrapes, sore muscles, and an oncoming headache, he was completely fine.

Light sighed, glad to be alive, and glared at Ryuk, who stopped laughing almost immediately like a dog who had been reprimanded.

Light remembered quite clearly the events that had led him to his new predicament. How Kallen had persuaded Kagesaki to let Light ride along with her instead. How she proceeded to dive right into the middle of the battle with Light in the cockpit behind her. He had been both impressed by her fighting prowess and shocked by her stupidity. Who brought her untrained boyfriend into a war zone?! And then there was all the shouting at her enemies. What kind of insult was "your defense is anemic!" anyway? Who _says_ that? The last straw was that she ignored him the whole time. To be fair, he could understand why she would in the midst of battle, but then why would she coerce him into riding along in the first place? And how on earth could the rest of the Four Holy Blades have just let her do as she wished? Whatever happened to the consequences of disobeying Zero? Just what had Kallen been thinking? Light had been delighted to find that she was smarter than he first considered, but her latest actions had just blown apart his previous assumptions. She clearly had not been thinking.

What was worse, was that she hadn't been thinking about _him_.

So of course, when Suzaku had captured Zero, Kallen had rushed in despite his shouted warnings, neatly bringing Light directly into the center of the Gefjun Disturber net. The Guren had shut down—as he had told her it would—and she tried to jump out. Light had caught her on the sand, heaved her over his shoulder and ran for the side of the net. It would be no good for her to get herself blown up if Light could help it—she was a great in to the organization and as much as he tried not to get his personal feelings involved, he had to admit she was a decent person. If she deserved to die, he would have already killed her. The dark shape of a floating ship had overshadowed them and then Kallen began screaming and flailing as the first round of missiles hit. Ryuk's echoing laugh had pierced his skull. Not yet, Light had thought. He still had so much work to do! The air lit up around him, sand exploding and cascading over his back, in his hair, hotly scorching his arms. The world turned in slow motion, surreal and strangely beautiful like a movie. And that's when he saw his chance. The Lancelot, shining white and gold in the flashes, was moving.

Right at him.

He wasn't sure when he had lost Kallen; she had been struggling so much over his shoulder that she must have disentangled herself or else an explosion had knocked her off with sufficient force. All he could do now was focus on his own survival. Wheels spun across the sand, propelling the white foot. Light jumped straight for the white Knightmare Frame, landing solidly on his feet, his arms grasping for purchase around the slick ankles of the machine. The speed nearly ripped him off immediately, but he clung on and flattened himself against the machine.

He was almost immediately dizzy as the Lancelot pirouetted and leapt. Light closed his eyes. He was feeling naseous, his ears ringing, his muscles shaking, his head might even be on fire…

And then he woke on the beach. He knew time had passed, but wasn't sure how long. The sun was lower in the sky, maybe midafternoon of the same day, or… midmorning of the next.

Either way, he didn't know where he was. He glanced down at his slowly drying uniform; he could be in a lot of trouble if the Britannians found him. It was mostly likely that he was on some other part of Shikinejima, and whoever controlled the island probably depended on which day it was.

Getting gingerly to his feet, Light scanned the shore. There was no sign of anyone nor habitation for as far as he could see. Seagulls soared and chattered above him. Bits of driftwood and seaweed were scattered distantly along the beach. An insectan hum emanated from the forest behind him. It would be best to find a place to hide until he could learn more—enough to find a way out or be rescued.

He felt a pang of sadness, then wiped it out. If Kallen were alive, she would no doubt have sent out a search party. However, it was most definitely her own fault that she was dead, and that he was in this situation. She had been stupid and had nearly dragged him down with her. If the Lancelot of all things hadn't almost rolled him over, he would have surely died. Like Kallen undoubtedly had.

"Good riddance," he said to Ryuk, although the monster had no idea what he meant. Light didn't care if his hulking follower understood. He was angry, suddenly very angry. The biggest curse of his life wasn't that Ryuk would kill him someday. It was that he couldn't lie to himself.

It was that he still wished Kallen were with him, despite everything she'd just done. Despite how he was still angry _with_ her, he was still angrier at the world for taking her away from him.

The world was not yet perfect, and Light swore again that he would make it so. He would be its benevolent god and no one—not even idiots like Kallen or Suzaku—would be sacrificed for such petty things like war over territory.

Gritting his teeth, Light walked into the jungle, the shadows and greenery masking him from the world, except for one last sun-splintered glimmer from his watch.

**-L/L-**

The dead were all around him. They clawed at his arms, his legs, and closed slimy, blood-slicked fingers around his neck. No matter what Lelouch did, he couldn't break free. Clovis' face appeared before him, the bullet wound oozing blood from his forehead, his expression lifeless and empty the same way it had been when Lelouch shot him. His blue eyes stared forward, seeing nothing. Lelouch wanted to vomit, but he couldn't breath. They held his throat. Shirley's father appeared next, and then Shirley herself. Lelouch wanted to scream that she wasn't dead—he _knew_ she wasn't dead!—but he couldn't say anything at all. The dead and those he had wronged held him down, laughed, cried, and screamed in the darkness, and were dragging him deeper and deeper, he was drowning in blood, drowning in his sins, drowning, drowning—

Lelouch hit the rock and was thrust abruptly out of his nightmare into stinging saltiness. The water roared around him, and before he could do anything else, he was slammed against the rock again. He gasped for air and only got the salty water that filled his helmet. The wave pulled him back and he ripped off his mask, finally gaining air just to hit the rock a third time. His shoulder stung hotly in the chill water, but he was getting the feel of the waves. On the fourth one he paddled desperately to the side, still clipping the rock with his helmet—his cape was slowing him down—but the water carried him further to the shore and almost unbelievably, he tip-toed the bottom.

With a rush of effort, Lelouch dragged himself through the shallow water, tripping over the long slanted rocks, and collapsed to his knees and hands on dry land. He panted with exhaustion and gulped in air, coughing and spluttering. He knew there was water in his lungs, and his body heaved to rid himself of it. Water dribbled from his mouth, salty and disgusting, to splatter on the large, mostly flat rock.

When he felt like he couldn't possibly squeeze anymore water out and his stomach ached from clenching, Lelouch shivered and let himself finally drop, rolling on to his back. He lay where he fell for a long time before finally feeling uncomfortable. The shore seemed to be all rock here, and an edge was digging into his spine. His shoulder and arm were also stiffening up, and Lelouch knew he had to move it soon or else it would be completely useless.

He clenched his teeth, hissing in pain as he raised himself up. He had survived, and there was no doubt that Suzaku would have as well. He put the mask back to his face and stood. Even in the short time he'd been laying there, he had managed to dry out considerably and he decided he could keep his cape. He had no idea how long he would be stuck on the island, so it might come in handy if he were still there when night fell. He should find drinkable water, and something to eat….

No doubt everyone would be looking for him. Unfortunately, that included the Britannian Army as well as his own. Staying out in the open where he would be seen before he saw anyone would be no good. Hobbling over the shore and holding his throbbing arm, Lelouch headed into the woods.

**-L/L-**

"What the hell would you know? You're just Zero's bitch!" Tamaki growled.

"Oh? It's been a long time since someone used that word to describe me," C.C. began, drawling out the words. She seemed thoroughly unimpressed and as far as L could tell, she wasn't embarrassed in the slightest. "It's even stranger coming from a dickless boy like you."

The room quivered with nervous shuffling. Tamaki's mouth was open in shock that someone—anyone—would address him that way.

"I… I don't think insults will get us anywhere," Ryuuzaki piped up, giving the right amount of force to be heard, yet timidity for his station as he interjected into the conversation of people who actually held titles.

"And who the hell are you?!" Tamaki shouted, shifting his target as Ryuuzaki expected he probably would. But it would still start to help him get noticed, and likely in a good way since everyone was tired of Tamaki's airs. Toudou and Ohgi were watching carefully, waiting to step in.

"Rue Ryuuzaki."

"Who?" Tamaki continued, jeeringly, "Nobody gives a fuck what you think!" L contained his smile; if only Tamaki knew just what people paid for what he thought.

"That's enough, Tamaki," Ohgi said, his voice calm and sounding tired. The second-in-command looked back to C.C.. "I'm sorry about that. We will of course send out a search party…."

C.C. nodded matter-of-factly. "And you will find him alive."

The woman walked to the end of the mess hall, her green hair waving behind her like a mermaid tail. As she passed, she gave Ryuuzaki a slight smile. Then she passed through the door.

It wasn't really so much how he was noticed, but rather who noticed him, he thought. Perhaps she had some kind of locator on Zero or a transmitter. Her utter confidence in Zero's survival was not the same as a lover's. There was no emotional attachment or need in her words; it was simplicity. She _knew_.

And L wanted to know how she knew. That was also simple.

He waited a few minutes and several people before slipping out himself. He went straight to a bathroom in the top floor area that was used infrequently. Once inside, he pulled out his cell phone and first searched which network he wanted to use. There were, after all, very few that were strong enough to work in a submarine, even if he were as close to the surface as possible. Luckily, he had hacked several military channels in his lifetime, and then let Matt do the rest as a test at home. L smiled at the memory, then he dialed a familiar number.

"Watari? I don't have much time. Forward satellite pictures to my phone for a radius of ten kilometers around Shikinejima from the last three hours. Any islands within the ten kilometer radius need to be fully covered, even is sections are outside that radius. Please scan for any short-range transmitters as well, especially any that measure vital signs. As soon as possible."

"Of course. Expect them in your inbox within five minutes."

L hung up, and then figured he might as well use the urinal. Before he left the bathroom, he had a message in his inbox. There were a number of muted electrical signals from a cave on Kaminejima that indicated sporadic mobile phone usage on the otherwise uninhabited island and of course, the pictures.

One intrigued him particularly. It was also on Kaminejima. Three people stood or sat around a campfire; seen from above and at such a distance, L didn't have the accuracy and detail he wished. But still, the picture captivated him and put his detective senses on to red alert. One seemed half-pink, half white—it could only be Princess Euphemia. One was dark-haired and wore white. It was easy to deduce it must be her knight, Suzaku Kururugi. The third one, however, was the most interesting, precisely because L didn't know who it was.

Dark clothes, dark hair. There were three people from the Black Knights unaccounted for.

He could eliminate Kallen Kouzuki—her red hair and bright red flight suit didn't match. That left two.

Which gave him a fifty percent chance that Princess Euphemia and her knight were calmly arranged around a campfire with Zero. He didn't seem to be bound, none of the positions from his bird's-eye-view suggested he was being particularly guided. He dropped it down to forty percent simply because the unlikelihood of the situation. Then again, C.C. had made it clear that Zero was still alive. The chances that _any_ of those on foot during the explosion had survived were slim—Kouzuki and Yagami were likely dead. Perhaps one or more of the three were severely injured and thus incapacitated. Restraint would not be necessary… but any soldier would not make those assumptions too easily when dealing with an enemy of the caliber of Zero or the White Knight.

But it would be even stranger if they were being friendly to one of Zero's underlings, the other who had been lost when the Avalon had fired. Wouldn't it? It certainly couldn't be anyone from the cave since there would be no reason to stay on the beach. A Princess would surely be cared for among whatever comforts the inhabitants had. A call would have been made to arrange her pick-up.

Speaking of calls… it was risky, but he knew it would get him all the help he could ever ask for later. He dialed another number, snapping his voice-disturber into place as he did so.

The other end picked up. L began before the speaker could answer. "You know who this is. Do not make any reply. Your sister is alive and safe, and I will ensure she remains so, if you give me three days and no interference. When you see her again, there is a ten percent chance she will know Zero's identity. That is all."

He ended the call immediately, although he heard the gasp and near-choking sounds from the other side. L had no idea how he would get the Euphemia back to Cornelia, but he was determined to use this chance. He had given himself a whole three days to figure it out.

However, it was an uncertain bet. He needed to convince those that mattered onboard the Black Knights' Submarine that they had to go to Kaminejima. Without telling them how he knew. Who would do something for him and had the authority to do it?

A grin spilled on to his face. Dropping his phone into his pocket, he exited the bathroom and went straight to Zero's locked room and knocked.

**-L/L-**

_Well, hello readers! Thank you everyone for waiting so patiently for me to write this story! I know many of you continue to be surprised when I manage to update months and months (er, it hasn't been a whole year this time, right? *wince*) between updates. But never fear! Your continued support means that this story is never too far from my mind, even if I am sometimes far from uploading a chapter. Certain changes in my life will likely make the next chapter MUCH sooner than you lovely reviewers are used to, but like usual, I make no promises._

_A special thank-you to SlvrSoleAlchmst1 for talking with me last night and even though she doesn't think she helped, this chapter is SO MUCH BETTER than the first draft that I felt quite unhappy with. So everyone should probably thank her too._

_Another thank-you goes to the song "Seven Devils" by Florence + The Machine to which I wrote ALL OF THIS CHAPTER to. Not that I think Florence + The Machine reads "The Chess Match," but it was still super helpful to me. Playcount is at 124 which, if anyone does math, you could probably use to figure out how long it took me to write this chapter (and a bit of the 13-yes! it's already in the works!) as the song is 5:03 long._

_~anja-chan_


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